LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
Ask any parent and he or she will tell you it's almost impossible to keep an eye on kids 24/7. Kids buying and guzzling booze is nothing new, but they've found a new way that doesn't require a fake ID. In fact, it doesn't require ID at all.
Shopping online is more popular than ever and nearly everything is available, including beer and wine. There is supposed to be a system of checks and balances in place to ensure minors do not make those purchases.
FOX5 found that time and again those measures fail, and the result is kids treating themselves to adult beverages, delivered right to them.
It's 3:30 p.m. on a Wednesday and a delivery driver is at the door. The scenario sounds innocent enough, but inside the packages being delivered are three cans of beer.
All the teen girl who answered the door had to do was sign her name, and the package containing the alcohol was handed over to her.
"It's not surprising to me, but it is very surprising to parents," said southern Nevada EUDL (Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws) Law Enforcement Coordinator Diane Anderson.
"Because a lot of people have no idea this is going on?" asked FOX5 reporter Matt DeLucia.
"Absolutely no idea," Anderson replied.
Anderson had heard about teens buying alcohol online but had never witnessed it until FOX5 showed it to her with a hidden video camera we set up.
"There's very little oversight," Anderson said.
Currently, there are more than 5,000 websites that sell alcohol. Some require shoppers to verify that they are over 21. Others require shoppers to enter a birth date, but little else.
With the permission of their parents, FOX5 asked a group of two teens and a juvenile - ages 11, 16 and 18 - to attempt to purchase alcohol from various websites.
The girls were instructed to lie about their ages, and in just a few minutes the orders were complete and the alcohol was on the way.
"With online, it was just a credit card and what you want to buy," said 16-year-old Alyssa, who we're only identifying by first name.
Less than a week from purchase, Alyssa's order was at her door.
"It was really fast – just sign the name and then he just gave me the package and left. He didn't even take a second look," Alyssa said of the delivery driver.
Despite the fact that the vendor requires an adult signature and the package was clearly marked as such, the delivery was made. Alyssa's mother, Denise, whose last name is also being withheld, was shocked.
"I didn't even know it was possible," Denise said.
Denise remembers a time when the options for kids were limited.
"Standing outside of a liquor store, trying to get someone to buy for them," she recalled.
Those days may be fading. Over the past 14 years, local law enforcement has engaged in compliance checks at restaurants, bars and convenience stores. The penalties for selling to a minor are enough to serve as a strong deterrent.
"They're a misdemeanor, and misdemeanors are up to a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail," said Metro Officer John Schutt.
Schutt has performed countless compliance checks over the past decade. The rate of compliance in the valley has gone from the low 40s to higher than 80 percent in that time.
"Because of the compliance now in these stores, these kids need to find another way, and this (online) is where they're going?" DeLucia asked.
"Exactly," Schutt replied.
It's not just teens who can obtain alcohol. Our 11-year-old had success as well.
Speaking out against underage drinking won't necessarily win you friends, and so our 11-year-old asked we keep her identity concealed.
"All I had to do was answer the door, and the package was right in my hands," she said.
Inside the box delivered to our 11-year-old was four bottles of wine. Again, the seller demanded UPS receive an adult signature, but this time there was no large marking indicating this on the box, only small print on the label.
Private carriers like UPS and FedEx have policies concerning the shipping of alcohol.
UPS requires that "all wine shipments shall be shipped using ‘Adult Signature Required.'''
FedEx requires an adult signature by someone with a government-issued photo ID. Its policy also states that "if no one is at the address, FedEx will reattempt delivery."
The selected online retailers only used UPS for shipping. The U.S. Postal Service, meanwhile, does not permit alcohol shipments.
Anderson believes leaving this responsibility with a driver is a bad idea.
"I am going to tell you that unless they worked in another area in this industry with alcohol, they probably do not know how to check an ID," she said.
That may be because there are plenty of fake IDs out there, and they're getting better all the time.
Schutt said kids work hard to stay one step ahead of the law.
"It's frustrating because there's nobody holding anybody accountable at this point," he said.
Kids buying alcohol online is not unique to Las Vegas. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently studied the problem. It found that out of 100 attempts to buy alcohol online, 45 were delivered to underage buyers. Thirty-nine failed because the driver demanded ID, and 16 failed due to ordering issues.
That's what happened with our third volunteer, the 18-year-old. The order was never delivered.
Schutt said the stats are daunting and regulation is lacking.
"It (regulation) borders impossible, but I'm not going to accept that," he said.
"Parents, wake up. Understand what's happening and know how easy it is for kids to access (alcohol)," said Anderson.
Even if the sale of alcohol online receives stricter regulation, kids will find another means of acquisition.
"I get it. Everybody is out there to make a buck, but at the expense of what?" asked Denise.
FOX5 reached out to UPS for a response to its driver making the delivery. A representative told us what happened "(did) not follow UPS policy or procedure. We appreciate knowing about it so we can take corrective action and assess retraining needs."
"There's initial training and periodic refreshers that flag attention to our drivers to the importance of verifying ID with these required signatures," the UPS representative continued.
Following our initial investigation, a fourth shipment arrived. This time, the UPS driver asked for adult identification and would not leave the package with a minor.
All of the alcohol furnished to teens in the making of this story was taken away, and the entire process was supervised by the Nevada Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Local and state authorities said they will take the findings of this report and discuss how to better regulate the sale of alcohol online.
Copyright 2012 KVVU (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.
