Operation Safe Sale Reveals 36 Percent of Retailers Willing to Sell to Minors in East County

East County-- Concerned about the high rates of underage drinking in the East County region East County Community Change Project last week conducted Operation Safe Sale, a series of coordinated shopping visits to local alcohol outlets, to highlight the willingness of retailers to sell alcohol to underage youth. Operation Safe Sell was held across Southern California with community groups from San Diego, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties.

Modeled after ‘minor decoy’ operations, the group focused on the Lemon Grove, El Cajon and Santee communities, and deployed youthful-looking over 21-year-olds to dozens of markets and liquor stores to attempt to buy alcohol. Of the 25 retailers visited, nine agreed to sell alcohol to the volunteer shopper without checking their identification. Because it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, law enforcement and prevention experts recommend that clerks check the IDs of anyone who appears to be younger than 30.

“I have underage friends who have bought beer from stores like these,” said Belinda Ayala with the South Bay Youth 4 Change project. “It’s too easy for those underage to buy alcohol, and it’s a big problem for us and our communities.”

According to the research study published by the University of Florida– Alcohol Sales and Service to Underage Youth and Intoxicated Patrons– proves that alcohol retailers are one of the primary sources of alcohol for underage youth. “Purchase attempts indicate that between 45% to 50% of outlets sell to underage buyers,” according to researchers Dr. Alexander Wagenaar and Dr. Amy L. Tobler.

While alcohol retailers visited during Operation Safe Sale faced no real legal consequences, the effort was intended to raise awareness about the importance of their business practices regarding alcohol sales and the legal ramifications of illegal business practices. If caught by law enforcement selling alcohol to minors, alcohol retailers face a minimum $1,000 fine, 24 hours community service as well as possible license suspension and jail time.

“With the holiday season upon us, it is important for all of us to be aware of the tragedies that can result from underage drinking,” said Timothy Gorsuch, Director with the California Alcoholic Beverage Control. “Businesses are the first line of defense to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors. Being vigilant in checking identifications of those who appear youthful will go a long way to make this a safe holiday season for everyone.”

Organizers hope Operation Safe Sale will bolster local efforts to reduce health and safety problems associated with underage alcohol use. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, alcohol is the most frequently used drug among teenagers, and a major cause of death among persons under the age of 21. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse states that each year about 5,000 young people die as a result of underage drinking, including motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicide and related injuries.

“We would like to see all of the businesses be in compliance with all the laws,” said Edwin Brock, Lieutenant of the Lemon Grove Sub Sheriff Station. “Unfortunately that hasn’t been the case, so we’re committed to reducing alcohol-related incidents especially among minors and by making it more difficult for minors to purchase alcohol.”

This is the first cross-regional effort, targeting 12 communities within Southern California (San Diego, Los Angeles and San Bernardino) Overall, more than one-third of the alcohol retailers in these communities agreed to sell alcohol to volunteer shoppers without checking their identification at the stores visited. The community groups are linked together through their work with the Institute for Public Strategies, a nonprofit organization focused on reducing alcohol and substance abuse in communities across Southern California and elsewhere.

According to organizers, their long-term strategy is to change the environment in Southern California to protect youth from early exposure and easy access to alcohol. “Our community partners across Southern California see the negative impacts of underage drinking every day,” said Brenda Simmons, Institute for Public Strategies executive vice president. “We decided to join forces to shine a spotlight on this problem and urge alcohol retailers to require proper ID and stop selling to minors.”

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