Police in New Zealand have launched an investigation after video of a drunk 9-year-old boy went viral.
The boy was discovered in Hamilton, a town on the North Island, by professional scooter rider Bradley Goudie near a skate park. He was clearly intoxicated as Goudie asked him general questions like his age and who his caretakers were.
The boy said that he had consumed 18 Cody’s, which is a premixed drink of bourbon and cola. He had difficulty walking and appeared sick and disoriented throughout the video. Friends laughed at him and said that he was allowed to drink alcohol. The boy also mentioned that he’s smoked marijuana.
By the time police were alerted to the situation, the boy’s story changed and she said that he had eight Cody’s and two shots. The boy’s mother was distraught after speaking to police.
“I see the drunken activities of adults who one would think could make good choices in life,” police inspector Greg Nicholls told reporters. “But to have a vulnerable young boy consuming alcohol is very appalling.”
Police plan to investigate the situation and arrest whoever provided the boy with alcohol. New Zealand’s Child, Youth, and Family services has also been called.
Police had asked Goudie to take down the video, but after it was mirrored on other websites, he didn’t see the point. He just wanted to highlight the issue of underage drinking in New Zealand.
“It was not my intention to put anyone in the spotlight—it was my intention to make the community see what has been happening,” he told The New Zealand Herald.
H/T Stuff | Photo via Bradley GoudieMedia/YouTube