Fake ID and Underage Drinking

 

Despite the fact that in Ontario the legal drinking age is 19, the 2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey found that 54.9% of grade 7 to 12 students consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months, with one out of three students reporting drinking hazardously and harmfully.[1]  Considering the current status of underage drinking it would seem that the methods being used to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors is not as effective as we would hope. 

One way that underage individuals try to access alcohol is through the use of fake ID. A recent article from the Queen’s Journal – “The cost of faking it”[2] makes some interesting points:

·       Even though it is against the Liquor License Act, and comes with a $125 fine, in reality there is little legal risk in trying to use fake ID since such attempts rarely result in significant consequences to the individual, and are usually not reported to police.

Underage access to alcohol through the use of fake ID is a great example of an alcohol related issue requiring community commitment - from licensed establishments, local police, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), parents, and youth themselves.  Licensed establishments can ensure underage youth do not gain access through ID checks, swiping machines, policies that discourage attempts to enter, and by reporting instances to the police.  Police and the AGCO can further deter this behaviour through regular licence inspections and enforcement of the law. Parents and youth can work to create opportunities for other activities in the community and work to change the way alcohol is promoted in our community. 

The recent addition of a legal age identifier to the Ontario Driver’s License[3] may improve this situation by simplifying the ID check and making it more difficult to use someone else’s ID, but may not be enough of a deterrent in and of itself.  Perhaps our next goal as a community could be to figure out what is driving young people to want to drink alcohol, and in particular drink in ways that are harmful.

For more information on how our community can work together to address harmful alcohol use see “It Starts Here”.

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[1] Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.  Ontario Drug Use and Health Survey.  Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; 2011.  http://www.camh.ca/en/research/news_and_publications/ontario-student-drug-use-and-health-survey/Documents/2011%20OSDUHS%20Docs/2011OSDUHS_Highlights_DrugUseReport.pdf

 

[2] Queen’s Journal.  The cost of faking it.  http://queensjournal.ca/story/2013-01-11/features/cost-faking-it/

[3] http://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2012/12/new-legal-age-identifier-for-ontario-id-1.html

 

 

 

 

Pilot project will see LCBO Express outlets in 10 Ontario grocery stores

As we welcome in the New Year, the Ontario government has released further plans to expand alcohol availability in the province of Ontario.  In addition to an expansion of 70 new retail outlets throughout the province, the LCBO will be launching VQA Destination Boutiques inside selected full-size LCBO stores, as well as LCBO Express stores.  Unlike the VQA boutiques, the LCBO Express stores will be situated in large grocery stores and will carry a wide range of products, enabling the LCBO to “meet consumer demand for convenience”.  This latest announcement is part of the government’s plan to “modernize” alcohol laws in Ontario.  It’s hard not to wonder whether this was really part of the plan, or whether this is more of a political move to counter Tim Hudak’s promises and the Ontario Convenience Store Association’s push to sell beer and wine in corner stores? 

In their news release, the additional revenue from the LCBO store expansions and the new store formats promise to “contribute to eliminating the deficit and protect key priorities, such as health care and education”.  How will increasing alcohol availability and consumption protect health care?  According to the World Health Organization alcohol is responsible for the highest rate of disease and death in Canada next to tobacco.[1]  It contributes to dozens of illnesses and injuries. Yes, the LCBO makes a lot of money for the province ($1.63 billion in 2011-12), but alcohol-related costs which include health care are significant.   In a comparison of direct alcohol-related revenue and costs in Ontario in 2002-2003, the government deficit totaled more than $456 million.[2]

Limiting the availability of alcohol is essential to controlling overall consumption and related harm.  Several decades of research have proven this.[3]  Expanding alcohol availability has potential short and long term impacts and must be considered carefully.  Not simply based on convenience. There is a definite disconnect between the profitability of alcohol and the impact on health.  Our leaders need to be embracing and supporting population level policies that effectively balance alcohol revenue with the health and social costs that come with consumption.  Instead, in the spirit of modernization, the government of Ontario continues to weaken the alcohol control policies we already have in place.

In times of increasing health care costs and cuts to services, these changes should be of concern to everyone.  Is the desire for convenience really worth it?

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[1] Rehm J, Mathers C, Popova S, et al. Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. The Lancet. 2009 June; 373: 2223-33.

[2] Thomas G. The Economics of Alcohol Control Policy in Canada.  Alcohol Policy Network webinar; 2010 Sept.  Available from: http://www.apolnet.ca/resources/education/teleconferences.html#economics

[3] Babor T, Caetano R, Casswell S, Edwards G, Giesbrecht N, Grube J, et al. Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity - Research and Public Policy 2nd edition.  Oxford New York: Oxford University Press; 2010.  Summary available at: http://www.ndphs.org///documents/2253/Babor_alc%20no%20ordinary%20comm%20second%20edition.pdf