Controlled alcohol purchase operation

During the evening of Friday 21st September 2012, the Police Alcohol Harm Reductions Unit and Public Health South conducted a controlled purchase operation in the Invercargill city.

A controlled purchase operation is one where Police send under age persons into licensed premises to test for compliance with the provisions of the Sale of Liquor Act 1989, specifically in this case to see if the premises would sell to underage persons.

A total of nine premises were visited.  Three of these premises failed and sold to the underage person.  The premises that sold were Barluca in Dee Street, East End Bottle Store in Tay Street and Southland Super Liquor in Elles Road.  In two of the cases it was the duty manager who made the sale.

"A successful operation for enforcement authorities is when the underage person is ejected from the licensed premise and no sale is made.  Last nights result is awful.  This country is presently going through reforms to the Sale of Liquor Act and yet with all the publicity surrounding this issue we still have outlets that are prepared to sell to underagers.  In the present case the young person was aged 16 years and at all three places age or identification was not even asked for.  The hospitalities industries own standard are 'if they appear under 25, ask for ID.  No ID - no service'.  There is no excuse.  He should have been ejected from every premise.

You can be assured that these joint operations will continue"