Kamloops liquor store fined after selling six-pack to teen in sting operation

A Kamloops liquor store caught selling a six-pack in a sting operation has been fined $7,000 after it failed to convince the province it had done everything in its power not to sell to minors.

According to an Oct. 10 BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch decision, the undercover operation took place in May at Kamloops Specialty Liquor Store.

“The (teen) entered the establishment, walked to the cooler and selected a six-pack of green bottles, later confirmed to be beer with 5% alcohol per volume, and took it to the till. The (teen) paid the staff person for the beer and left the establishment,” the decision read. “At no time did the staff person or any other employee ask… for identification to confirm his age.”

The store was issued a $7,000 fine, but fought the action, saying it had done its due diligence.

The decision said the staff member who inadvertently sold the teen the beers got fired for their mistake, which was the company’s policy. He’d worked there for two years and was an “excellent” employee and may have been stressed at the time, the decision said.

At a hearing, the store manager, the assistant manager and the licensee highlighted the numerous protocols they had in place, reminding staff to always ask for identification.

The liquor store handed over a wealth of paperwork, including a training manual, staff reminders and quizzes for staff about always asking for ID.

Both the manager and the assistant manager had worked at the store for years, and both had trained new staff.

The assistant manager said that because of the store’s location, there were frequent problems with homelessness, intoxication, mental illness, drugs and thefts. 

“He said, ‘At times the environment can be chaotic,'” the decision read.

While the store handed over plenty of paperwork in its defence that it had done its due diligence, it wasn’t good enough for the Liquor Branch.

“Overall, while the Licensee has good intentions, much of what is done to avoid sales of liquor to minors, the pre-shift reviews, the training checklist and the tests seem to be more form, a simple ticking of the box, than actual substance,”  Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch Delegate Dianne Flood said in the decision.

She concluded that the standard expected for liquor stores to prevent the sale of liquor to minors has not been met and issued a $7,000 fine.