Too easy for teens to buy drink

Underage? No ID? Want some booze? Then Northland's just the place for you.
Nearly two thirds of Northland liquor stores appear willing to sell alcohol to young people with no proof of their age, a sting has uncovered.
With summer on the way and the end of the school year just around the corner, Northland Health staff set out to test the region's booze shops' attitude towards minors.
The results are both shocking and disappointing and will be used as a wake-up call to those stores who did not follow a voluntary protocol to always ask for ID of customers who look under 25.
None of the shops will be charged because the two young "pseudo shoppers" who took part in the exercise were aged 18 and 20 and therefore not breaking the law by buying alcohol.
They visited 73 dedicated liquor outlets, supermarkets, and general stores throughout Northland and bought alcohol in 46 of those premises - despite having no ID.
Northland Health public health worker Clayton Wikaira says the shoppers looked about 17 or 18 years old, and bought drinks popular with young people - such as ready mixed spirit drinks. Alarm bells should have rung for all the retailers, and they should have asked to see proof of age.
Binge drinking is a big problem among young Northlanders and those retailers were helping minors buy booze, Mr Wikaira.
He described visiting some Northland towns with the mystery shoppers and being stunned to see them walk out of the store carrying alcohol bought with no ID.
Northland Health protection officer Paul Reid said the night they tested Whangarei outlets coincided with a local high school's social.
"There were three off-licences open in the area, all three sold to our people without question."
There are 63 official off-licences in Whangarei. Of the 28 visited by the mystery shoppers, 13 sold without seeing evidence of age.
"We are disappointed that some of the industry members are not doing all they could to limit the problems of alcohol damage in youth."
Northland paid "an horrific price" with young people being killed in drink driving accidents.
"The message is: `If they look to be under 25 you must ask for proof of ID'," Mr Reid said.
The exercise succeeded in its aim of getting an overview of alcohol sales to Northland youth. All of the retailers involved would receive a letter about their performance, and hopefully would improve as a result.
Whangarei police liquor licensing officer Sergeant Steve Fryer said he was "disappointed" by the results.
"Obviously there's got to be some re-education of the off licences. They're all aware of the legal requirements as part of their licence. If they're not, they need to be told."
* The statistics
Results of the young "mystery shopper's" visits to Northland alcohol stores under: District; shops visited; Bought alcohol without ID. Percentage. Northland wide:73-46-63 percent Far North:38-27-71 percent Whangarei:28-13-46 percent Kaipara:7-6-86 percent.
* Liquor law of the land
• The Sale of Liquor Act sets these maximum penalties for selling or providing alcohol to an underage person:
• $10,000 fine for a licencee, and/or a suspended licence for 10 days for selling to a minor
• $10,000 fine for the outlet's duty manager
• $2000 fine for the staff member who sold the alcohol
• $2000 fine for a person who buys or supplies alcohol to a minor
• $2000 fine for a parent who provides alcohol to underage children but leaves them unsupervised
• $2000 fine for adults who allow underage children to use their premises to drink alcohol
• People organising private events in public places need a special liquor licence if the majority of those attending are underage and alcohol is supplied.