Access to Alcohol

TITLE: ACCESS TO ALCOHOL 8-00-20 (Three Part Version)

ANCHOR LEAD

THE DEBATE CONTINUES OVER WHETHER BEER, WINE AND ALCOHOL SHOULD BE SOLD OVER THE INTERNET. MANY BELIEVE THAT ON LINE SALES OF THESE PRODUCTS PUT THEM IN THE WRONG HANDS-THOSE UNDER 21 YEARS OLD. ____________ HAS THE STORY.

#1 Length :1:02

WRAP ONE Length :18
IN A RECENT SURVEY BY AN ORGANIZATION CALLED AMERICANS FOR RESPONSIBLE ALCOHOL ACCESS, EIGHT OUT OF TEN COLLEGE STUDENTS SAID THEIR PEERS WOULD BUY ALCOHOL ON LINE IF NO AGE VERIFICATION WAS REQUIRED. BARRY MCCAHILL ("muck-KAY-hill") OF A-R-A-A SAYS THE INTERNET PROVIDES THOSE UNDER AGE 21 WITH EASY ACCESS TO BOOZE.

ACT :Barry McCahill, Americans for Responsible Alcohol Access Length :11
"…They don't have to scam the local convenience store, or get an upper classman to give them a fake ID or go buy it for them, you can just literally order it over the Internet and have it delivered right to you no questions asked."

WRAP TWO Length :19
ALMOST 18,000 COLLEGE STUDENTS SURVEYED ADMITTED TO PURCHASING ALCOHOL VIA THE INTERNET, FROM A CATALOG OR BY PHONE ORDER. AND A WHOPPING 87 PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD TURN TO THESE SOURCES IF LOCAL RETAIL STORES GOT STRICTER ABOUT AGE ENFORCEMENT. BARRY MCCAHILL SAYS IT'S A NEW TWIST ON AN OLD PROBLEM.

ACT :Barry McCahill, Americans for Responsible Alcohol Access Length :08
"This is just as much bootlegging as we had back in the old days. This is now bootlegging with a technological edge on it."

WRAP THREE Length :05
JUST HOW EASY IS IT FOR A MINOR TO ORDER ALCOHOL ON LINE? THE ANSWER IN A MOMENT.

#2 Length :1:03

WRAP FOUR Length :29
A BILL, RECENTLY SPONSORED BY SENATOR BOB GRAHAM OF FLORIDA, GIVES STATES GREATER AUTHORITY TO MAKE SURE OUT OF STATE ALCOHOL MERCHANTS COMPLY WITH LOCAL LAWS. 30 STATES DON'T EVEN ALLOW INTERSTATE ALCOHOL DELIVERIES…AND THOSE THAT DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN CONTROL WHO RECEIVES THE DELIVERY. PLUS, THESE STATES DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON TAX REVENUES. BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS GIVING MINORS ACCESS TO ALCOHOL. WE ASKED 18 YEAR OLD KIEHL SMIT TO TRY TO PLACE AN ORDER…WITH HIS PARENT'S PERMISSION.

ACT :Kiehl Smit, 18 Year Old Length :03
"I think it would be a pretty easy way to go, especially if you didn't want people to know about it."

WRAP FIVE Length :09
ALL HE DID WAS FILL OUT THE ON-LINE ORDER FORM. WHERE IT ASKS FOR METHOD OF PAYMENT…HE SIMPLY "BORROWED" MOM, THERESA SMIT'S CREDIT CARD. SHE WAS SHOCKED.

ACT :Theresa Smit, Mother Length :01
"It's way too easy."

WRAP SIX Length :20
WHILE THE WEB SITE DID SPECIFY THAT YOU MUST BE 21 TO ORDER, FIVE DAYS LATER, THE DELIVERY ARRIVED WHEN NO ONE WAS HOME…WITH A SLIP THAT NEEDED TO BE SIGNED BY AN ADULT AND LEFT ON THE DOOR. OF COURSE, ANYONE COULD DO THE SIGNING. KIEHL IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE ALCOHOL OVER TO HIS PARENTS. UP NEXT…WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE CYBER BOOZE PROBLEM.

#3 Length :57

WRAP SEVEN Length :15
THE LIQUOR STORE OWNER WHO SHIPPED THE ALCOHOL TO OUR 18 YEAR OLD DID NOT WANT TO BE INTERVIEWED, BUT SAID HE CAN'T HELP IT IF THE CUSTOMER LIED ABOUT HIS AGE. LAURA GASAWAY ("GAS-away"), AN EXPERT ON CYBER-LAW... SAYS IT'S NOT CLEAR WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER INTERNET SALES.

ACT :Laura Gasaway, Cyber-Law Specialist, UNC Law Library Length :08
"That's the question, did the sale take place in the minor's home state or did it take place in the seller's home state?"

WRAP EIGHT Length :34
MICHIGAN, MASSACHUSETTS AND UTAH ARE AMONG THE STATES THAT HAVE FILED CHARGES AGAINST OUT OF STATE RETAILERS FOR VIOLATING THE LIQUOR CONTROL CODE. MANY PEOPLE FAVOR A SYSTEM WHERE BEER, WINE AND ALCOHOL THAT'S ORDERED ON-LINE IS SHIPPED TO A WHOLESALER WHO PAYS THE EXCISE TAX, THEN TO A RETAILER WHO COLLECTS THE SALES TAX AND ONLY THEN WOULD THE PURCHASE BE HANDED OVER TO THE BUYER, IF HE OR SHE IS OF AGE. WHEN BOOZE IS DELIVERED BY A COMMON CARRIER, IN A PLAIN BROWN WRAPPER, DIRECT TO THE BUYER, IT'S DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHO'S GETTING ACCESS TO ALCOHOL.

WRAP NINE Length :
Local Talent Wrap

LOCAL ANCHOR LOCKOUT

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, ALCOHOL ADS ACCIDENTLY RAN ON WEB SITES THAT APPEAL TO CHILDREN, EVEN THOUGH THOSE SITES PROHIBIT ALCOHOL SALES. THE ADS, THAT SHOWED UP ON comics.com AND snoopy.com WERE PLACED BY INTERNET AD AGENCY DOUBLECLICK, INC. THAT AGENCY SAID IT WAS A CLERICAL ERROR AND THEY WOULD INSTITUTE SYSTEMS THAT WOULD PREVENT THIS KIND OF MISTAKE FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.

TITLE: ACCESS TO ALCOHOL 8-00-20A (Single Part Version)

ANCHOR LEAD

WRAP ONE Length :20
IN A RECENT SURVEY BY AN ORGANIZATION CALLED AMERICANS FOR RESPONSIBLE ALCOHOL ACCESS, EIGHT OUT OF TEN COLLEGE STUDENTS SAID THEIR PEERS WOULD BUY ALCOHOL ON LINE IF NO AGE VERIFICATION WAS REQUIRED. BARRY MCCAHILL ("muck-KAY-hill") OF A-R-A-A SAYS THE INTERNET GIVESTHOSE UNDER 21 EASY ACCESS TO BOOZE.

WRAP TWO Length :21
A BILL RECENTLY SPONSORED BY SENATOR BOB GRAHAM OF FLORIDA GIVES STATES GREATER AUTHORITY TO MAKE SURE OUT OF STATE ALCOHOL MERCHANTS COMPLY WITH LOCAL LAWS. THIRTY STATES DON'T EVEN ALLOW INTERSTATE ALCOHOL DELIVERIES…AND THOSE THAT DO WANT TO CONTROL WHO RECEIVES THE DELIVERY. WE ASKED 18 YEAR OLD KIEHL SMIT TO TRY TO PLACE AN ORDER…WITH HIS PARENT'S PERMISSION.

ACT :Kiehl Smit, 18 Year Old Length :03
"I think it would be a pretty easy way to go, especially if you didn't want people to know about it."

WRAP THREE Length :08
ALL HE DID WAS FILL OUT THE ON-LINE ORDER FORM AND SIMPLY "BORROWED" MOM, THERESA SMIT'S CREDIT CARD. SHE WAS SURPRISED.

ACT :Theresa Smit, Mother Length :01
"It's way too easy."

WRAP FOUR Length :18
FIVE DAYS LATER IT ARRIVED WHEN NO ONE WAS HOME. THE DELIVERY PEOPLE LEFT A SLIP OF PAPER THAT NEEDED TO BE SIGNED BY AN ADULT AND LEFT ON THE DOOR. KIEHL IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE ALCOHOL OVER TO HIS PARENTS. LAURA GASAWAY ("GAS-away"),AN EXPERT ON CYBER-LAW SAYS IT'S NOT CLEAR WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER INTERNET SALES.

ACT :Laura Gasaway, Cyber-Law Specialist, UNC Law Library Length :08
"That's the question, did the sale take place in the minor's home state or did it take place in the seller's home state?"

WRAP FIVE Length :07
THE RETAILER WHO DELIVERED TO OUR 18 YEAR OLD SUBJECT DECLINED TO BE INTERVIEWED BUT SAID IT'S THE CUSTOMER'S FAULT FOR LYING ABOUT HIS AGE.

WRAP SIX Length :
Local Talent Wrap

LOCAL ANCHOR LOCKOUT

MANY PEOPLE FAVOR A SYSTEM WHERE BEER, WINE AND ALCOHOL THAT'S ORDERED ON-LINE IS SHIPPED TO A WHOLESALER WHO PAYS THE EXCISE TAX, THEN TO A RETAILER WHO COLLECTS THE SALES TAX AND ONLY THEN WOULD THE PURCHASE BE HANDED OVER TO THE BUYER, IF HE OR SHE IS OF AGE. WHEN BOOZE IS DELIVERED BY A COMMON CARRIER, IN A PLAIN BROWN WRAPPER, DIRECT TO THE BUYER, IT'S DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHO'S GETTING ACCESS TO ALCOHOL.

Contacts:

Laura Gasaway
Director and Professor of Law
University of North Carolina Law School
CB# 3385, Ridge Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
919-962-1049
Laura_Gasaway@unc.edu

Ms. Gasaway is director of the law library at UNC-Chapel Hill, and a nationally known expert in the field of internet law.

Barry McCahill
Americans for Responsible Alcohol Access
Washington DC
888-660-ARAA

Mr. McCahill is Executive Director of Americans for Responsible Alcohol Access, a coalition of groups including SADD, Emergency Nurses Association, and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. The groups works to support enforcement of laws and regulations governing the distribution and sale of alcohol.

Localization Tips:

Call your State Attorney General and find out if he/she has filed any cases against on-line liquor stores.
Find out if any on-line liquor stores are located in your state. If there are, see if you can get an interview with an owner or manager.
Ask local teenagers if they've ever ordered liquor on-line, or know anyone who has. Find out how big a problem on-line liquor is in your area.