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Related Experiment Videos

Propensity for obtaining alcohol through shoulder tapping.

Traci L Toomey1, Lindsey E A Fabian, Darin J Erickson

  • 1Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. toomey@epi.umn.edu

Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|May 22, 2007
PubMed
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Underage youth can obtain alcohol through "shoulder tapping," where adults illegally purchase it for them. Approaching young men significantly increases the likelihood of success for this method.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Substance Abuse Research
  • Criminology

Background:

  • Underage alcohol acquisition often involves adults illegally providing alcohol.
  • Shoulder tapping, where youth ask adults to buy alcohol, is a common method.
  • This study examines the prevalence of adults agreeing to shoulder tapping requests.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the percentage of adults who provide alcohol to pseudo-underage individuals via shoulder tapping.
  • To compare the success rates of shoulder tapping attempts on the general adult population versus young men.
  • To identify factors influencing the success of shoulder tapping.

Main Methods:

  • Two waves of shoulder tapping attempts were conducted using requesters appearing 18-20 years old.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Requests involved asking for a 6-pack of beer at convenience/liquor stores.
  • Wave 1 targeted the general adult population; Wave 2 targeted casually dressed males aged 21-30.

    • Main Results:

    • 8% of adults in Wave 1 provided alcohol; urban areas showed 9.4 times higher odds than suburban.
    • 19% of young men in Wave 2 provided alcohol.
    • No specific characteristics were associated with outcomes in Wave 2.

    Conclusions:

    • A small percentage of adults comply with shoulder tapping requests.
    • Underage youth are substantially more likely to obtain alcohol by targeting young men.
    • Findings highlight the need for interventions to prevent illegal alcohol provision to minors.