Community leaders and police are calling for parents to take responsibility and prepare their young people to celebrate responsibly this New Year's season.
Tens of thousands of young revellers flock to the Southern Lakes each year to send of the last 12 months – with Wānaka's lakefront particularly popular with teenagers.
But it can get messy, so support network Red Frogs will be returning to the tourist hotspot for a tenth year to offer assistance.
National director Raymond Thomson said the charity would have 60 volunteers on hand to help with celebrations across Queenstown and Wānaka.
"[We'll be] cooking pancakes, handing out water down on the lakefront and towards the end of the night we'll be helping young people if they need more support, holding their hair back as they vomit, and being the friendly front face of the support services," he told 1News.
"We want to see young people come home with a story and not a scar."
Shortly after New Year's Eve last year, three serious assaults were reported after fights broke out among youth at the town's dinosaur park.
Community leaders and emergency authorities were back at the park to deliver a strong message not just to young people, but parents as well.
"Please don't pin $200 to your young person's jersey, give them a bottle and send them six hours down the road with no support," Thomson said.
Hato Hone St Johns area operations manager David Baillie said every year he has to "make a phone call to someone's parents" after a situation on New Year's Eve.
He said the patients are often boys and girls aged between 15 and 18 who've had "far too much alcohol or too many drugs, who are now unconscious, unresponsive".
"I'm ringing them to say, 'Hey, we're sending your son or your daughter to [the] emergency department or an ICU department'."
Baillie said they're sent to Dunedin's emergency room four hours away.
"I want you to take a minute to think what it would feel like for me to ring you on New Year's Eve and say this is actually happening, because this does actually happen."
Local police said they have no choice but to fine parents if their children break the law, which includes the liquor ban.
Senior Sergeant Darren Cranfield told 1News they "make no apologies".
"We dish out infringement notices. It's the only thing that works, unfortunately. We've tried a number of different means of doing it. We've done writing essays and bits and pieces. Hitting the pocket is probably the only way we can resolve it," he said.
Red Frogs have trialled education sessions across the South Island after a survey found 83% of partygoers last year felt more school and parent talks were needed to be better informed and prepared.
But for now, there's a plea.
Queenstown Lakes mayor John Glover said, "if you're coming into this place from outside as a visitor, imagine that is your place and behave maybe as you would at home."
Police also reminded people that many in emergency services give up their own celebrations to help welcome in 2026.
"We just want you to have fun, but do know that this is my people are here for you but they're also not with their families at the same time," Otago Lakes central area commander Paula Enoka said.
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