Compliance Check Operation
Routine, comprehensive compliance checks are the key strategy for
deterring commercial alcohol sales to minors. They involve the use
of underage buyers by law enforcement agencies as deputies to test
retailers compliance with laws regarding the sale of alcohol
to minors. Retailers who do sell to the underage buyer are then
cited or arrested depending on the laws of that jurisdiction.
In order to carry out a purchase survey, a representative sample
of alcohol outlets is selected. At each outlet in the sample, a
buyer who is over 21 but who appears to be underage attempts to
purchase alcohol without presenting age identification (ID). If
the outlet sells alcohol to the buyer, it is considered noncompliant.
If the outlet refuses to sell to the buyer, it is considered in
compliance. There is no enforcement action taken as there would
be in a compliance check.
Alcohol purchase surveys indicate who is selling alcohol to minors
and how often. This lets a community know how large the problem
of underage sales is and among which outlets. This information can
be very useful in allocating scarce enforcement and prevention resources.
The results of surveys can be used to help raise community awareness
and build support for efforts to reduce sales to minors.