One off-license sale to a minor is "one too many"
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Dargaville & Districts
Northland District Health Board and police staff are happy with the results of a controlled purchase operation at off-licensed premises in the Whangarei area.
During the operation, in which two volunteers, aged 16, attempted to purchase alcohol from off-licensed premises in the Whangarei area, only one out of 17 outlets sold to the under-age customers.
Sergeant Howard Clement, Whangarei police alcohol harm reduction officer, says the results were encouraging but one sale to an under-age customer is one too many.
All premises should have systems in place to prevent a sale of alcohol to minors.
The DHB and police have been running joint controlled purchase operations for five years, giving premises an opportunity to test their procedures and tighten up their systems.
Controlled purchase operations are part of an ongoing programme to assess compliance with the Sale of Liquor Act 1989, in an effort to address access to alcohol by minors.
Wendy Antrobus, Northland DHBs Public Health Unit technical officer says: "All licencees and their staff must remain vigilant, remembering that at all times if any person looks under the age of 25 and does not have an ID, it means no sale.
"This latest operation has shown that by far the majority of off-licensed premises in Whangarei adhered to their responsibilities regarding sales of alcohol to minors, but it would be great to get 100 percent compliance for the region," says Mrs Antrobus.
NDHB and the New Zealand police will continue with ongoing monitoring of licensed premises.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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