Northland liquor stores casual on asking for ID

Underage? No ID? Want some booze? Then Northland's just the place for you.

Nearly two thirds of Northland liquor stores appear willing to sell alcohol to young people with no proof of their age, a Northland health services provider has discovered.

With summer on the way and the end of the school year just around the corner, Northland Health tested the region's booze shops' attitude towards minors.

The results will be used as a wake-up call to those stores who did not follow a voluntary protocol to always ask for ID of customers who look under 25.

None of the shops will be charged because the two young "pseudo shoppers" who took part in the exercise were aged 18 and 20 and therefore not breaking the law by buying alcohol.

They visited 73 dedicated liquor outlets, supermarkets and general stores throughout Northland and, despite having no IDs, bought alcohol in 46 of those premises.

Public health worker Clayton Wikaira said the shoppers looked about 17 or 18, and bought drinks popular with teens, such as ready-mixed spirits.

Alarm bells should have rung and the shoppers should have been asked for ID.

Binge drinking was a problem among young Northlanders and some retailers were helping minors buy booze, Mr Wikaira said. He visited some Northland towns with the "shoppers" and was stunned to see them walk out of stores carrying alcohol bought without showing any ID.

Health protection officer Paul Reid said the night they tested Whangarei outlets coincided with a high school social. "There were three off-licences open in the area, all three sold to our people without question.

"There are 63 official off-licences in Whangarei. Of the 28 visited, ... 13 sold without seeing evidence of age.

"We are disappointed that some of the industry members are not doing all they could to limit the problems of alcohol damage in youth."

Northland paid "an horrific price" with young people being killed in drink driving accidents. "The message is: "If they look to be under 25 you must ask for proof of ID'," Mr Reid said.

Whangarei police liquor licensing officer Sergeant Steve Fryer said he was "disappointed" by the results. "Obviously there's got to be some re-education of the off-licences."

- NZPA