An emergency department doctor says other patients are missing out because of the resources being put into drunk patients.
A survey of departments in New Zealand and in Australia has found almost one in five people were there due to harmful drinking.
The Australasian College of Emergency Medicine survey is the first of its kind and took a snapshot of 100 hospitals at 2am on Saturday 14 December. Fourteen New Zealand hospitals were included.
Scott Boyes works in the emergency department of Hawke's Bay Hospital and says Friday and Saturday nights are very demanding.
He told Radio New Zealand's Summer Report programme on Tuesday that drunk people are treated as high-risk patients and other patients are getting poorer care.
Dr Boyes says the survey highlights that there are consequences for others in an emergency department from heavy drinking.
Violence in emergency departments is rising and binge-drinking shouldn't be seen as acceptable, he says.
Listen to more on Summer Report