POLICING UNDERAGE ALCOHOL SALES

This study evaluates an enforcement program targeted at licensed retai l sellers of alcohol. The program was a sting or decoy operation in wh ich underage police cadets attempted to purchase packaged beer at rand omly selected grocery, convenience, liquor, and drug stores in Denver, Colorado. Stores that sold alcohol to the underage purchasers were su bject to fines and beverage license suspensions. During baseline, cade ts purchased beer 59% of the time. The purchase rates for successive w aves of enforcement conducted over the next 10 months were 32%, 26%, a nd 26%.