The Use of an Evidence-Based Community Action Intervention to Improve Age Verification Practices for Alcohol Purchase

Abstract

Alcohol purchase surveys were undertaken as part of two New Zealand community action projects (one in a large metropolitan area and one in a small town) that aimed at reducing alcohol consumption-related harm for young people. Baseline surveys in both places indicated poor age verification practices. The two follow-up surveys in the metropolitan area showed a decrease in sales made without age identification between 2002 (60%) and 2003 (46%). However, an increase between 2003 (46%) and 2004 (55%) occurred. In the metropolitan area, regulatory staff in three out of seven jurisdictions increased enforcement due to the 2002 survey and follow-up work; this did not happen following the 2003 survey. In the small town, results indicated positive changes in verification practices over time. In addition, licensee meetings, host responsibility training, and a regional project all occurred following the surveys. The surveys have also had important indirect effects. Closer monitoring and enforcement activity due to the surveys has contributed to the amendment of alcohol legislation in New Zealand.

Keywords:

• age verification
• community* action
• controlled purchase operations (CPOs)
• media advocacy
• purchase surveys
• host responsibility training

Notes

Notes

1. “Heavier” drinkers were those consuming 5 or more drinks on a typical drinking occasion.

2. The Ministry of Health acts on behalf of central government.

3. Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SHORE, a Research Centre based at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand).

4. The Ministry of Health was in the process of reorienting health promotion activities to be evidence-based.

5. Te Ropu Whariki is a Maori (indigenous people of New Zealand) research unit based at Massey University that works in partnership with SHORE.

6. See Huckle et al. (2005) for other project objectives.

7. Four purchase surveys were conducted in 2001, 5 in 2002, 5 in 2003, and 3 in 2004.

8. Follow-up activities in 2004 are not reported here as evaluation of these is not yet complete.

9. There are no grocery outlets in Hawera that are licensed to sell alcohol. Sports clubs were excluded as it is illegal for field-workers to enter these premises if they are not members of the sports club or are not a guest of a club member. In the most recent National Alcohol Survey in 2000, 7% of 14- to 15-year-old drinkers had consumed alcohol at a sports club and 23% of 16- to 17-year-old drinkers had done so. Six percent of 16- to 17-year-olds had bought takeaway alcohol from a sports clubs and only 2% of 14- to 15-year-old drinkers had done so (Habgood et al., 2001)

10. For example, the numbers of field-workers have differed in each survey despite the best efforts of the project coordinator. The number of purchase attempts range from 28 to 48 and the average number of attempts was 36.

11. The researchers had ethics approval granted to give individual premise results to retailers but not to stakeholders.

12. This area was under the jurisdiction of a licensing trust with a virtual monopoly on off-license premises.

13. This group includes a range of regulatory stakeholders such as police and licensing inspectors as well as crime prevention and health promotion personnel.

14. Some of these people have left their positions, so these relationships need constant development.

15. Strategies included assistance with after-ball planning, media advocacy, public meeting, host responsibility training, licensee meeting, and the Think Before You Buy Under 18's Drink Campaign (a regional social marketing campaign aimed at reducing parental supply to minors).