Addressing the harmful use of alcohol - WHO Western Pacific Region

7. Monitoring and enforcement
licences, a manager or employed serving staff. Examples are provided below, and a short
hierarchy of sanction is included in several of the suggested legislative texts.
Licensing legislation also includes alcohol offences by non-licensed people. It is typically a
prosecutable offence:
• for any person under the minimum age to buy alcohol;
• for any person to present false evidence of age; and
• for any person to supply alcohol to a person below the minimum legal age or to purchase
alcohol on their behalf.
These offences are discussed above in the section on Setting a Minimum Purchase Age.
Table 7.1 : Legislative examples
Liquor Control and Licensing Act, British Columbia, Canada (1996)
Offences and penalties
1) A person who contravenes this Act or the regulations commits an offence.
2) Subject to subsection (3), if the person convicted of an offence is an individual, the individual
is liable…to a fine of not more than Canada $10 000 [U.S. $9,894] or to imprisonment for
not more than 6 months, or to both.
3) If the person convicted of an offence is a corporation or a licensee that is not a corporation,
the person is liable…to a fine of not more than Canada $50 000 [U.S. $49,469].
Sale of Liquor Act, New Zealand (1989)
Selling alcohol without a licence
Every person commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not excelling 3 months
or a fine not exceeding New Zealand $40 000 [U.S. $29,954] who, not being the holder of a licence,
sells or exposes or keeps for sale, any liquor.
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