Underage Access to Alcohol Through Curbside and Home Delivery: Prevalence and Consequences

Alcohol access through curbside and home delivery has become a growing phenomenon in the post-COVID pandemic era. Regulations vary by state, but studies have suggested that adult access indicates higher substance use and consequences. Overall, research is lacking for adolescents. Using data from a statewide survey ( n = 26,485), youth who used curbside/home delivery and those who did not were compared on past 30-day use, binge drinking, higher frequency use, and alcohol-related consequences. Because youth utilizing curbside/home delivery (CHD) was reported by only a small proportion of youth (~ 5%), propensity score matching was used to balance group sizes and demographic characteristics. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the CHD group had significantly higher odds of past 30-day alcohol use, binge drinking, greater drinking frequency, and alcohol-related negative consequences compared with matched non-users. Accessing alcohol through curbside/home delivery may be an indicator of high-risk alcohol use in adolescents. Future research and targeted prevention efforts are needed in this area.