Ordering alcohol online is more available than ever, and it is quick with rapid delivery under two hours. New research from Alcohol Healthwatch to be published in the New Zealand Medical Journal reveals that alcohol orders are able to be delivered without an identification (ID) check, and in many cases left unattended at the doorstep.

The study found that 73% of the alcohol orders were delivered with no ID check, and almost half (49%) were simply left unattended at the door.

"This poses many risks," says Sarah Sneyd, lead author and Health Promotion Advisor at Alcohol Healthwatch. "We’re talking about New Zealand’s most harmful drug being delivered within 30 minutes and left contactless for anyone to grab.

"Unfortunately, there’s no legal requirement for anyone to check ID when delivering alcohol. But New Zealanders expect a certain level of protection when it comes to alcohol sales, and that includes someone checking that it’s not being sold to children or intoxicated people. What we’re seeing with online alcohol deliveries is that most retailers are not doing either."

Speed of the deliveries was a key finding; the rapid delivery orders were made in under 30 minutes on average, with the fastest being made in only 17 minutes.

"You don’t even have to step outside your door now to have alcohol delivered to you very, very quickly," says Sneyd. "But we know from research that the easier it is to get alcohol, the more is consumed, and the more harm there is, including harm to others. For alcohol delivered to homes, this has major implications for family violence, child maltreatment, and continuing binge drinking sessions long after they would have otherwise wound up.

Combined with precious few regulations covering online marketing of harmful products, you now have a perfect storm; pocket money priced booze available and marketed on popular social media channels, meaning a bottle store can be in your pocket."

The findings are at odds with alcohol company’s policies on restricted items. Despite every company tested in this study saying they check ID on delivery, only two companies (UberEats and DoorDash), did this for every delivery. Most of the other company delivery drivers, including supermarket chain Woolworths (then Countdown) never checked ID.

"We can’t leave it up to companies to regulate themselves and check ID," says Sneyd. "Every company said they do this. But almost 90% of them aren’t doing it."

The study demonstrates that regulations are needed to address online alcohol delivery. Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the only OECD countries that does not have protections around the potential for increased harms from online alcohol delivery. Addressing the lack of age verifications and the speed of deliveries will leave communities with a better balance of convenience and safety.

"It’s high time for Aotearoa New Zealand to better manage the risks of alcohol delivery through developing national protections," says Sneyd.

© Scoop Media