The convenience of having alcohol delivered directly to their doorstep in as little as 30 minutes has resulted in prolonged drinking sessions that would have otherwise ended.
The survey, which questioned 1158 Australian adults who used popular alcohol delivery sites, also investigated purchasing patterns, consumer motivations, and age verification practices.
Participants were recruited through social media and sampling was used to reflect the age and gender proportions of the wider population.
The researchers found that those who used a fast same-day delivery service to continue drinking were six times more likely to drink at hazardous levels than those who had never used such a service.
The study’s lead author Stephanie Colbert, a PhD candidate from UNSW Medicine & Health, said that “Increased access to rapid delivery of low-cost liquor from the comfort of the home could be impacting purchasing and drinking behaviors… some would drink less if the service wasn’t available.”
While alcohol home delivery services have been around for a while, sales have risen significantly in recent years. Now, more online retailers are offering to bring alcohol direct-to-door in under two hours than ever before to meet the demand.
The study found that more than a quarter of survey participants had never purchased alcohol online for delivery before the pandemic. Of the remaining respondents who had, 44% had increased their use in that time. The most common reasons for purchasing alcohol online for delivery were convenience followed by cost.
The study also found poorer age verification practices for home delivery among adults under 25, who were significantly more likely to report never having their ID checked when receiving an alcohol delivery at the door compared to in-person at a bottle shop.
Ms Colbert said: “Having identity verification by accredited identity service providers at the point of sale, which is set to be introduced for all same-day delivery services soon in NSW, would help to address this.”
The study suggests that consistent regulations are needed to manage the risks posed by alcohol delivery services while enabling consumer access. Ms Colbert said: “If we have a two-tiered system of regulation that can be exploited, there’s a chance it will be.
"In general, alcohol delivery regulations in most Australian jurisdictions have weaker standards than physical liquor stores across the board. For example, delivery drivers in many states aren’t required to hold a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certification, despite it being mandatory for bottle shop servers.
Ms Colbert said all delivery drivers should have at a minimum an RSA to bring these services up to the same standards as brick-and-mortar stores.
