Norcross Reports 94% Alcohol Sales Compliance Rate.

Conducting what are known as “compliance checks,” Gwinnett County Detectives partner with underage decoys to ensure that area retailers comply with state and county laws that prohibit people under 21 from purchasing alcohol. Between the months of July and September, detectives visited 18 retailers in the Norcross area. Out of those 18 alcohol retailers, only one sold to an underage decoy.

While compliance checks are an effective tool in reducing underage access to alcohol, area retailers must overcome one very difficult issue: fake IDS. While retailers are responsible for not only checking IDs, they are also responsible for ensuring that identification is valid and belongs to the person presenting it when purchasing alcoholic beverages.

Fake IDs are not only an issue for the stores selling alcohol, but for the person attempting to purchase alcohol underage. In a 2013 study from the University of Maryland, researchers found that false identification use was linked to high risk drinking choices for those under the age of 21. The study found that using fake IDs essentially fueled high risk drinking choices by providing greater accessibility to alcohol, leading these young people to drink more frequently and more heavily. This increase in quantity and frequency is interpreted as a red flag that can signal current or future problems with alcohol.

A combined effort between retailers and parents can help to reduce the effects of this issue, as outlined in the Alcohol Retailer Knowledge Base brochure from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. First, retailers are encouraged to compare facial features, take note of the date of birth and the expiration date on the ID, pay attention to the customer for actions that may indicate the customer is being dishonest (like facial features, eye movements and body language) and also report any fake identification to a supervisor and law enforcement when present.

Parents are encouraged to talk to teens and young adults about drinking and fake IDs. With almost 2/3rds of the college participants in the study using a fake ID to obtain alcohol, it is important that parents talk about the possible consequences related to using a fake ID, which can include fines, suspension of a driver’s license, jail time and an increased chance of alcohol dependence.

We would like to thank the following alcohol retailers for checking IDs and not selling alcohol to the underage decoys during July, August and September.

Everest Food Mart, 950 Indian Trail Lilburn Rd.

Chevron Food Mart, 6075 Singleton Rd.

El Jalisco Market, 5014 Singleton Rd.

Kroger Company #389, 6050 Singleton Rd.

Quiktrip#718, 6065 Singleton Rd.

Shell Food Mart, 5615 Singleton Rd.

Food Depot #55, 1250 Tech Drive

Friendly Shop Citgo, 4970 Jimmy Carter Blvd

General Store, 5200 Jimmy Carter Blvd

Halal Meat, 5265 Jimmy Carter Blvd

Hong Kong Supermarket, 5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd

Chevron Food Mart, 6044 Singleton Rd

Shell Food Mart, 5535 Jimmy Carter Blvd

Shell Food Mart, 5476 Jimmy Carter Blvd

Singleton Super Market, 5265 Jimmy Carter Blvd

Supermercado El Tapatio #2, 4142 Jimmy Carter Blvd

GUIDE, Inc. is a substance abuse prevention agency serving Gwinnett County since 1986. To find out more about us, please connect with us at guideinc.org.