Routine, comprehensive compliance checks are one of the most effective ways to deter commercial alcohol sales to minors. They involve the use of underage buyers by law enforcement agencies to test retailers' compliance with laws regarding the sale of alcohol to minors. A comprehensive program consists of the following components:
- Communications throughout the year with retailers to educate owners, sellers/servers, and managers
- Opportunity for retailers to participate in responsible sales and service programs
- Community outreach and media advocacy to publicize the program's design, purpose and results
- Random selection of outlets to be included in the initial wave of the program (100-percent coverage if feasible)
- Follow-up communication informing each retailer of the results
- Repeated notification to licensees of the ongoing compliance check operations and repeated waves of checks over set periods of time (two or more times per year), which may include targeted checks of retailers identified as violators in previous waves (Fitch, Toomey, Gehan, & Wagenaar, 1998; Grube, 1997).
In the Omaha metro area, Project Extra Mile helped coordinate collaborative enforcement efforts, including compliance checks, since 1997. Compliance checks are conducted in the communities across the state where a coalition has been established. Compliance checks are conducted across the country to help communities determine the extent of the problem of sales to minors as a source of youth access to alcohol. They also can be used as a tool in measuring the impact of prevention efforts within a community. Many of the youth who participate in compliance checks are members of their community's youth group and are committed to making a difference in the fight against underage alcohol use.
The community partners with local law enforcement agencies to increase support for enforcement efforts. Additionally, the community coalition works with local schools and youth organizations to recruit students who may be interested in joining the local youth group and work with law enforcement officers to conduct compliance checks.