Convenience stores selling alcohol would lead to more underage drinking: The Beer Store

Only 2.9 per cent of Ontarians signed convenience store petition

TORONTO, April 23, 2014 /CNW/ - The Beer Store says research indicates that convenience stores selling alcohol would lead to more underage drinking in Ontario.

"The research is very clear: allowing convenience stores to sell beer, wine and hard liquor would lead to harmful consequences in our community," said Jeff Newton, President of Canada's National Brewers.

Newton pointed out that after two years of collecting signatures on their petition, only 2.9 per cent of Ontarians signed the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) petition for alcohol to be sold in their stores.

"The convenience stores would let anyone sign this petition – even teenagers – and only a small fraction of Ontarians signed on," added Newton.

The Beer Store is encouraging a public dialogue about convenience stores' record of selling age-restricted products to underage teens:

• 1 in 5 Ontario convenience stores sold cigarettes to underage Ontarians in an undercover shopper survey conducted by Ipsos Reid. In Toronto, 56 per cent of convenience stores illegally sold cigarettes to minors.¹
• 15.6 per cent of Ontario students between Grades 7-12 who smoke illegally purchased cigarettes directly from convenience stores, gas stations or grocery stores, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's 2013 Student Drug Use and Health Study.² Only 1.2 per cent of students reported buying beer directly from The Beer Store.
• Underage customers undercover shopping at 201 New York grocery and convenience stores were able to purchase alcohol 45 per cent of the time.³
• In British Columbia, 28 per cent of independent LRS liquor stores sold alcohol to a minor without checking for ID in 2012/13.⁴

For more information follow ontariobeerfacts.ca or follow @ONBeerFacts.

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¹ http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/1-in-5-ont-convenience-stores-sell-cigarettes-to-minors-new-study-suggests-1.1679752
² Page 278 http://www.camh.ca/en/research/news_and_publications/ontario-student-drug-use-and-health-survey/Documents/2013%20OSDUHS%20Docs/2013OSDUHS_Detailed_DrugUseReport.pdf
³ http://www.sla.ny.gov/system/files/3-5-13-NYC-Sting.pdf
⁴ Page 7 http://pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/docs-forms/AnnualReport-MinorsAsAgents2012-2013.pdf

SOURCE: Canada's National Brewers

To co-ordinate interviews, contact: Jay Armitage, 416-645-8174 (o), [email protected]