PREVENT THE SALE OF ALCOHOL TO MINORS USING VOLUNTEER UNDERAGE
DECOYS TO PURCHASE ALCOHOL FROM STORES IN THE FIVE BOROUGHS.
The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) recently revealed that it had an on-going
undercover investigation from February 21 through March 3, 2013, where volunteer underage decoys
purchased alcohol from licensed grocery and liquor stores. The underage decoys were sent into 201
stores and purchased alcohol from 90 of those stores all across New York City.
The entire State of New York is involved in a coordinated enforcement action to prevent
the sale of alcohol to minors. State Liquor Authority Chairman Dennis Rosen said, “Preventing the
sale of alcohol to minors is a priority for the State Liquor Authority. These large scale enforcement
efforts will continue to be a part of our proactive measures to prevent alcohol abuse among our
youth”.
Of the 90 stores where the decoys purchased alcohol, 21 out of 35 were in the Bronx, 20 out
of 34 were in Brooklyn, 29 out of 84 were in Manhattan, 14 out of 42 were in Queens, and 6 out of 6
were on Staten Island.
Licensees charged by the SLA with selling to a minor can face civil penalties of up to
$10,000 per violation. Fines start from $2,500 to $3,000 for a first time offense. Selling to a minor is
very serious and the SLA is very tough on licensees who sell
