Could an alcohol tax fund more teachers and nurses?

That's an idea from Alcohol Healthwatch, commenting on a district health board push to make booze more expensive and harder to get.

Auckland DHB wants comprehensive change to reduce alcohol's negative impact... saying it contributes to far too much harm, costs a lot to treat, and affects people's health and relationships.

Dr Nicki Jackson from Alcohol Healthwatch says part of the problem is it's too cheap - and making it more expensive is proven to reduce harm.

She says a tobacco-like excise tax could kill two birds with one stone.

Jackson says she'd much rather her tax dollars go towards more critical services, if we didn't have to spend so much on alcohol harm.

The tobacco excise tax contributes almost two-billion dollars a year.