Police target underage ‘dial-a-drink’ services

The Spirits Business

By Melita Kiely

November 10, 2015

As demand for alcohol delivery services skyrockets, police have promised to crack down on illegal services after a couple was arrested for supplying underage consumers.

Last week, officers in Glasgow made two arrests after a couple set up an online service to deliver alcohol throughout the night.

It is thought the pair used social media to drive alcohol sales – which included Buckfast, vodka and cider – targeting underage consumers.

Furthermore, it is illegal in Scotland to deliver alcohol between midnight and 6am.

As a result of this incident, superintendent Thom McGloughlin, warned that police would be prosecuting anyone found to be breaching the law.

“We are aware of alcohol delivery services who deliver to underage children,” he told the Glasgow Evening Times.

“The people behind these websites don’t care about who they are selling to, all they care about is profit.

“Selling alcohol to underage children can have a huge impact on communities. It is vital we take pro-active action.”

Inspector Matthew Webb added that “dial-a-drink” services were associated with higher rates of violence, disorder and anti-social behaviour.

“People involved in the illegal sale of alcohol will sell to anyone, no matter what they are or how much they have already had to drink,” he explained.