Oklahoma study reveals 73.7% state compliance in preventing underage alcohol sales

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) and the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Law Enforcement Commission (ABLE) have announced the results of the bi-annual Underage Access to Alcohol Purchase Study (APS).

The study aims to assess the compliance rate of alcohol sales to underage buyers and was conducted from February 1, 2023, to May 15, 2023.

The APS involved 799 compliance checks, of these 673 were available for assessment.

The study revealed an overall state compliance rate of 73.7%.

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Key results from the study include:

• During the APS, establishments where alcohol is consumed on-premises, such as in bars and restaurants, demonstrated a compliance rate of 59%.
• Establishments where alcohol is not consumed on-premises, such as grocery stores or convenience stores, demonstrated a compliance rate of 83.6%.
• In all establishments surveyed during the APS, clerks requested the underage buyer's identification 81.3% of the time. In bars and restaurants, clerks requested the youth buyer's ID in almost 75% of purchase attempts compared to off-premises alcohol establishments requesting the youth buyer's ID in 91.5% of attempts.
• APS results show clerks or servers who did not ask for the youth buyer's ID, sold alcohol in nearly 94% of purchase attempts. When the youth's ID was not checked in on-premises consumption establishments, sales occurred 24% of the time and for off-premises consumption establishments, sales occurred in 12.1% of purchase attempts.
• On-premises establishments checked the youth buyer's identification in 74.5% of attempts, with 23.8% of those leading to sales. In contrast, off-premises establishments checked identification in 91.5% of attempts, with 12.5% resulting in sales.
• There was no specific day of the week or time of day when underage buyers were able to purchase alcohol more often than other days or times.

ODMHSAS has training initiatives such as the Responsible Beverage Sales & Servies Training program developed in partnership with ABLE.

This training is mandatory for all individuals selling or serving alcohol in stores, restaurants, or bars.

"Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs in the United States. We are proud to partner with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and assist with the Underage Access to Alcohol Study. The results of this study will help us direct resources to combat the sale of alcohol to underage individuals. This is a public safety issue that we continuously attack through proactive education and enforcement," said ABLE Director Brandon Clabes.

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