What is the Florida Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking?

The Florida Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking exists to challenge efforts to dismantle Florida’s longstanding system of alcohol regulation. The Coalition supports existing Florida law, which requires alcohol importation, distribution and sale be made through licensed businesses in Florida that can be held accountable for violations of state law, and who lawfully submit state taxes.

The Coalition is made up of law enforcement agencies, religious organizations, businesses, educators and community groups dedicated to maintaining state laws against the sale of beer, wine and liquor by unlicensed out-of-state companies.

Why should I care about direct shipping of alcohol?

Efforts to weaken restrictions on distribution of alcohol in Florida will remove established controls and put our children at risk. Faceless ordering and delivery across state lines would create an unregulated and unaccountable avenue for minors to obtain alcohol. In fact, the National Academy of Science reported in 2003 that 10 percent of young people have purchased alcohol on the Internet or through home delivery and recommended tightening access.

Underage drinking affects everyone in the community. The rate of fatal crashes among alcohol-involved drivers between 16 and 20 years old is more than twice the rate for alcohol-involved drivers 21 and older, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Some people say that this is just about shipping wine to connoisseurs, and that underage drinking isn’t an issue if only wine deliveries are allowed. Is that true?

No. The vast majority of Internet alcohol sellers sell beer, wine and spirits. By opening the door to wine sales and delivery from out-of-state companies, we are inevitably opening the door to sales and delivery of beer and liquor by companies that are not accountable to Florida’s legal authorities.

Supporters of alcohol deregulation claim that only a small number of wine drinkers will take advantage of Internet alcohol sales, but this has not been the case in the states that have deregulated alcohol sales and distribution. In fact, Internet alcohol sales have developed into a billion-dollar industry, and interstate shippers are constantly seeking to open new markets by aggressively attacking responsible alcohol regulations such as Florida ’s.

What is the three-tier system that Florida uses to regulate sales of alcoholic beverages?

Under the three-tier system, alcohol sales flow from producers through licensed wholesalers and licensed retailers who are accountable for complying with state law. The three-tier structure was established by the federal government to allow states to regulate the sale of alcohol within their borders, and helps prevent illegal sales to minors while ensuring that state taxes are collected.

How does the three-tier system help prevent underage drinking?

Responsible, accountable alcohol sales are the best way to ensure responsible alcohol access and prevent underage access. The three-tier system requires alcohol purchases to pass from licensed manufacturers to licensed distributors and finally to consumers through licensed retailers. This structure provides seller accountability for alcohol sales to minors, and compliance with state tax laws.

Allowing anonymous sales via the Internet, mail order or phone would open the floodgates to unaccountable beer, wine and liquor sales – with no effective regulations to stop those who are selling to minors, avoiding state taxes or disregarding other state laws regulating alcohol.

Won’t Federal Express and UPS check IDs when they deliver alcohol products?

No, and in fact they have been caught in several instances delivering beer, wine and spirits to minors. In numerous instances around the United States, minors have not only ordered alcohol from online sellers, they have received the alcohol products at home in unmarked packages, with no scrutiny from delivery people.

In a series of stings conducted in Michigan, one in three Internet alcohol sites contacted sold alcohol products to the decoy minor. In a recent Boston sting operation, four online retailers and three shipping companies — UPS, FedEx and DHL — were found to have sold and delivered alcohol to minors.

Does the three-tier system keep people from ordering their favorite wines from small producers?

No. Florida has many licensed retailers who specialize in fine and rare wines and who ship them directly to consumers every day. Retailers and distributors must simply comply with Florida law, which requires alcohol to be distributed by a dealer licensed in the state of Florida .

Why is the three-tier system being challenged?

In recent years, Internet sellers and the wine industry have been waging a legal campaign to deregulate alcohol sales by suing states in order to force them to allow anonymous delivery of alcohol across state lines. These powerful interests are seeking to open new markets and increase profits at the expense of proven public policy.

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