Information, the Internet can act as a type of general store where
computer users including teenagers can purchase almost anything--even
beer, wine and liquor--without any age verification. Parents may want to
learn what they can do to stop this trend.
Did you know that millions of children are buying alcohol online or know
someone else underage who does? In spite of this dangerous new trend,
states are moving to increase online wine sales even as they fail to
monitor alcohol Web sites to enforce underage drinking laws. That's the
word from experts who say a growing number of teens have credit and
debit cards that allow them to point, click and drink alcohol ordered
anonymously off the Web.
According to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
Information, the Internet can act as a type of general store where
computer users including teenagers can purchase almost anything-even
beer, wine and liquor-without any age verification.
Results from a recent survey of 14-to-20-year-olds conducted by Teenage
Research Unlimited (TRU) for the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of
America, Inc. (WSWA) indicate the following:
• Half a million minors ages 14-20 (2%) admit ordering alcohol
online themselves, and 3.1 million (12%) report having a friend who does it.
• Nearly one in 10 (9%) say they have visited a Web site that
sells alcohol. One-third-nearly 8.9 million ages 14-20 nationwide-are
open to the possibility of an online alcohol purchase before age 21.
• Seventy-five percent say their parents aren't able to control
what they do on the Internet.
Advocates believe there should be stiffer penalties for overnight
delivery companies that break the law and states need more resources to
monitor online alcohol activity.
"We know kids are buying alcohol online, we know states are allowing
more Internet wine sales and we know states are not doing even basic
monitoring or enforcement of these purchases," WSWA CEO Juanita Duggan said.
She believes that if states aren't encouraged to take action to stop
online alcohol sales, parents will have missed an opportunity to stop
the trend of Internet alcohol sales to children.
Duggan and local wine and spirits distributors encourage parents to let
elected officials and regulatory agencies know how they feel about this
issue.
Some say until state and local governments act, the burden falls on
parents to be advocates and to make sure they are making the most of the
preventive measures at their disposal.
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