40 per cent of Cardinia bottle shops not checking ID

Megan Bailey
April 13, 2016
Berwick Leader
A recent study has found 40 per cent of bottle shops in Cardinia would sell to under 18s.
FORTY per cent of bottle shops in Cardinia Shire failed to check ID when selling alcohol to people who looked underage.
As part of a study by Deakin University, Victoria Police and the Communities That Care organisation, four subjects, all 18 and 19 years old but who looked younger, visited bottle shops in Cardinia earlier this year and tried to buy alcohol without ID.
In some instances they were sold alcohol without being asked for ID and in other cases the salesperson asked for ID but sold them alcohol even after they said they didn’t have any on them.
Participants were sent to areas outside of where they lived to reduce their chances of sales staff recognising them.
Communities That Care facilitator Amy Moore said it was a disappointing result but not surprising.
She said some of the young people who took part in the experiment said they were not surprised they had been served without ID.
However she said most teenagers who drank got alcohol from their parents.
“The sale of alcohol to underage youth is a serious concern,” she said.
“I think it’s a really common cultural experience across the state and across Australia and I am sure … a lot of other municipalities would get a similar result of how many other young people are drinking underage.
“I do not think (Cardinia) would be any more statistically significant than other areas but that doesn’t mean it’s not a problem that needs to be addressed.
“(Rates of underage drinking) have been progressively declining for the past 15 years, which is good.
“From our perspective we would like it to be zero.”
Deakin University researcher and health advocate Professor John Toumbourou said it was dangerous for teenagers to drink alcohol.
“Recent surveys found 36 per cent of young people in Cardinia Shire were using alcohol at age 14. When asked where they obtain their alcohol they commonly reported getting it from home, but in some cases from bottle shops,” Prof Toumbourou said.
A Cardinia Shire council survey found that 52 per cent of young people aged 15-17 had consumed alcohol at some point.
The Cardinia council has since contacted shops involved in the study to ‘provide advice and support to improve their policies and procedures’.
Comment was sought from Victoria Police.