A shoulder tap is a law enforcement strategy that seeks to hold adult alcohol providers accountable for their illegal activities involving minors.
[2] A Los Angeles Police Department survey indicated that almost half of minors who attempt to acquire alcohol use this method.
[3] Such communities use sting operations to deter adult assistance and promote awareness of the legal consequences of helping minors obtain alcohol.
[4] In 2001, a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) chapter conducted a small unscientific study in Massachusetts, in which teens stood in front of 15 stores and asked 100 adults apparently over the age of 21 to buy them alcohol.
[5] In England and Wales, buying alcohol on behalf of a person under 18 is a summary offence under section 149 of the Licensing Act 2003, punishable by an unlimited fine (level 5 on the standard scale).