[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 26 (Thursday, March 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E272-E273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       UNDERAGE ALCOHOL DRINKING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 9, 2000

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the text of the 
following correspondence to the House of Representatives.

       Dear Dr. Fletcher: Thank you for sending me a pre-
     publication copy of your article ``Alcohol Home Delivery 
     Services: A Source of Alcohol for Underage Drinkers''. As I 
     indicated in our phone conversation, the Senate Judiciary 
     Committee held a hearing on ``Interstate Alcohol Sales and 
     the 21st Amendment'' March 9, 1999. Testimony at that hearing 
     made reference to your article.
       Within the context of that hearing, Utah Attorney General 
     Wayne Klein referenced your upcoming study to indicate that 
     10% of 12th graders and 7% of 8 to 20 year-olds obtained 
     alcohol through delivery services in the last year. This has 
     left an impression amongst Senators and in the record that 
     these youths were purchasing through interstate alcohol 
     direct shipment mechanisms.
       It is my understanding that the questions in your study did 
     not distinguish between interstate delivery mechanisms and 
     delivery from stores within a community. In fact my 
     understanding of our conversation and of your article is that 
     it typically is a community liquor outlet in the area which 
     is making the delivery and that most of these deliveries are 
     beer. As I understand it, your study did not attempt to 
     distinguish interstate shipments of alcohol by common 
     carriers and the purchase and delivery of alcohol from 
     community sources.
       Because there has been significant misinterpretation of 
     these results, I am asking that you write Senators Hatch (FAX 
     (202) 224-9102) and Leahy (FAX (202) 224-3479) to clarify the 
     degree to which your studies have relevance to the issue of 
     Interstate Alcohol Sales. I would also like to obtain a copy 
     of your letter, which I am sure will be added to the official 
     record of the committee.
       As this is a current and significant issue here on Capitol 
     Hill, your earliest response would be most appreciated. 
     Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns in 
     this regard.
           Sincerely,
                                                    John McCamman,
                                                   Chief of Staff.

                                  ____
                                  

       Dear Mr. McCamman: This letter is to provide clarification 
     on the findings of the research article ``Alcohol Home 
     Delivery Service: A Source of Alcohol for Underage 
     Drinkers.'' This article is being cited to demonstrate that 
     persons under the legal drinking age of 21 are using direct 
     shipment mechanisms to obtain alcohol. I would like to 
     provide some relevant background on the paper to address this 
     contention.
       The survey that is the basis of the article was intended to 
     address whether underage individuals were having alcohol 
     delivered from local liquor stores. Respondents were asked: 
     ``In the last year, have you purchased alcoholic beverages 
     that were delivered by a store to a home or individual?'' We 
     think this wording is more consistent with retail home 
     deliveries than with direct shipment purchases. While it is 
     possible that some youths interpreted the question to include 
     direct shipment deliveries via the internet, the history of 
     the internet suggests that this is unlikely. Access to the 
     internet did not proliferate until the last several years. 
     Our survey was administered in 1995 in small and medium sized 
     communities. Internet access typically did not become 
     available in smaller towns until significantly later than in 
     larger metro areas.
       It is possible that some of our respondents who said they 
     purchased delivered alcohol purchased it via telephone 800 
     numbers, but there are several factors that makes this less 
     likely. First, we think that youth alcohol purchases tend to 
     be spontaneous, in other words, alcohol is purchased right 
     before consumption. Second, most purchases via 800

[[Page E273]]

     numbers require a credit card. Lastly, the delivery time is 
     less predictable which increase the likelihood that an adult 
     will intervene and makes the purchases more ``risky.'' These 
     mitigating factors probably apply to a greater degree to 
     younger individuals than to older youth. While alcohol 
     purchases that are delivered directly to the consumer in any 
     manner clearly raise concerns about unmonitored access to 
     alcohol, our paper does not directly address the issue of 
     youth direct shipment of alcohol or interstate retail sales.
           Sincerely,

                                            Linda A. Fletcher,

                                     Alcohol Epidemiology Program,
                                          University of Minnesota.

     

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