Underage drinkers can easily buy booze in New York City, according to the findings of an undercover investigation into liquor sales at grocery stores, pharmacies and other retail outlets.
Underage decoys were able to buy alcoholic beverages in more than half of the 911 stores sampled during the six-month probe last year, officials with the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Sunday.
The outlets that sold alcohol to the decoys represent about 10 percent of all the stores with liquor licenses in the five boroughs.
Retailers charged with underage sales of alcohol face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, with fines starting at $2,500 for a first offense, according to the authority. Repeat offenders could lose their licenses.
The city health department intends to send letters to all stores in the city licensed to sell beer, wine or liquor requesting that they help reduce underage drinking by checking customer IDs.
13 comments:
911 stores ? Where are they in Jamaica ?
This is silly. It's a parental issue. If you raise you kids right, you have nothing to worry about.
The owners of these so-called corner convenience stores could care less for any laws. Selling cigs and liquor to minors is how they stay in business. They all need to be audited by the IRS. The Attorney General needs to step in.
In the old days the corner store was owned by the family who lived upstairs and knew everyone on the block.
We need to start to build strong neighborhoods not strong real estate development.
Communities are for people, not campaign donors interested in slash and burn speculation.
Anon # 2 completely correct.
Also you can buy crack just about anywhere at any age.....
Kids - or their "agents" have been buying beer forever. Why the shock? Here's my question, though: in my area, the primary local community board's purpose is liquor licenses (so it seems). I expect to hear a requests for licenses for day care centers any day... but I've NEVER heard of a pharmacy.
We've got trouble right here in River City!
The real drinkers buy 40s.
Kids Booze It Up All Over.
And, in Bayside, that is not all that they are doing.
They have been partying, boozing; drugging; intimidating; sexing, texting (condoms in plain site both used and unused); graffitting; destroying private property and God knows what else. For years by the way. It has only gotten worse.
This is done on a regular basis -- blatantly. On a given day (school day) there could be as many as 25 kids coming and going at various times during the day. Then there is weekends and nights. Seems to be various groups of different ages.
WHERE is this happening: at the VACANT, UNSAFE AND VANDALIZED Huang houses in Bayside on 223rd Street.
The houses have gas, electric, phone service, and appliances. All the comforts of home. They can even charge their cell phones and plug in their computers.
The first house is fully furnished, including several bedrooms. Squatters have been suspected to have lived there from time to time.
Nothing sees to deter the trepassers. The 111th Precinct has been pro-active about monitoring the development. Senator Avella has over the years written many a letter to the various City agencies. Still the situation gets progressively worse.
As if this is not enough, property values have understandably diminished because of this "illegal" project.
Once again, the houses have been boarded up. Partially that is. The Huangs do not seem to care about the repeated vandalism. Why should they? They live in Forest Hills.
Just another side effect of the ridiculous underage drinking laws in this country.
You can vote, marry, fight and die for this country at 18 - but not have a beer. How infantilizing.
Just because a police decoy who most likely looks at least 21 but is probably just under can buy alcohol does not mean that all these stores are selling alcohol to "kids".
I have to say this never happens at a RiteAid. I have had an AARP card for 5 years and the little shit at the checkout still wants ID.
You will never go back to mom and pop stores. The rent is too damn high.
What about all those Indian convenience stores who sell smuggled cigarettes?
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