Tighter checks needed on teens buying alcohol

By REBECCA WALSH health reporter

One in two teenagers are not asked for identification when buying alcohol from off-licence outlets in parts of Auckland, a survey has found.

The result has disappointed the Hospitality Association and led to calls for greater levels of enforcement by police and liquor licensing inspectors.

It follows widespread anecdotal evidence over the past year that teen drinking had grown worse since the liberalisation of liquor laws in 1999.

The Pseudo Patron Project, conducted by Massey University's Centre for Social and Health Outcomes, saw 18-year-old males and females go into 250 premises around the region to buy alcohol worth up to $10, without ID.

The teenagers visited supermarkets, grocery stores and bottlestores in May and June, making two visits to each store.

Centre director Professor Sally Casswell said although overall there was a significant decrease in the proportion of sales made without ID in the region - 46 per cent this year compared to 61 per cent the previous year - there was still significant room for improvement.

In Auckland city 53 per cent of visits resulted in a successful sale without ID - the biggest proportion in the region.

"The research suggests the key thing is enforcement. Retailers need to understand that they will get picked up. The results would seem to indicate they think they won't."

Professor Casswell believed a combination of factors had led to the overall decrease, including controlled buying operations by police using underage teenagers, a policy in many supermarkets of asking for ID from anyone who looked under 25, and improvements in legal-age signage.

But she said some retailers believed there was a good chance they would not get caught and therefore more resources needed to go into enforcement by police and licensing inspectors.

The survey found it was easiest to buy alcohol without ID in grocery outlets - 71 per cent of visits to these stores resulted in a sale - but there were significant decreases in the proportion of sales at supermarkets and bottlestores.

Supermarket sales dropped by nearly a half to 28 per cent of visits.

The chief executive of the Hospitality Association, Bruce Robertson, said the results were disappointing. The association had worked hard to encourage retailers to ask for ID if there was doubt about a person's age.

But the fact someone was not asked for ID did not mean there were widespread sales of alcohol to minors.

"People have had their licences suspended or cancelled for failure to ask for ID ... They cannot afford to be complacent."

Mr Robertson said of 50,000 or so people who turned 18 each year in New Zealand, 40,000 had a driver's licence they could use as ID. The association produced about 8000 18-plus cards each year, which indicated young people needed a card to get access to alcohol.

Superintendent Roger Carson, commander of the combined North Shore, Waitakere and Rodney district, said the district was looking at increasing the number of staff working in the licensing area.

Alcohol underpinned about 60 per cent of offending reported to police each year.

Geoff Atherfold, team leader of compliance monitoring for the Auckland City Council, said inspectors carried out a monitoring programme as well as normal licensing inspections. A fourth inspector would soon join the team.