Over 200,000 hospitality and service workers are employed in Clark County, most of who are required, by state law, to receive alcohol awareness training and carry an alcohol education card. How many of them work for you? Are you confident that your staff was properly trained to spot minors using fake I.D. and to take the risk seriously?
A recent news story out of California details the dangers of lax beverage service policies. The Camino Real Restaurant in Bakersfield had its liquor license suspended in 2011 for 20 days after employees served alcohol to a minor who later died in a DUI crash. This week the California Alcoholic Beverage Control has revoked the restaurant’s liquor license for serving alcohol to minors in a decoy operation; this happened while the restaurant was still on probation for the original 2011 offense.
California isn’t the only state to get tough on liquor laws. Nevada law enforcement agencies are working to strictly enforce state and local laws, and are performing routine decoy operations and sobriety checkpoints. In Nevada, hospitality workers who are caught serving minors may be charged with a misdemeanor which can result in up to 6 months in jail and up to a $1000 fine. Owners and managers of businesses that are caught selling alcohol to minors can also be issued citations and could face the revocation of their business licenses.
Every establishment needs policies and procedures to prevent underage persons from obtaining alcohol, and to protect themselves from liability, and the public from harm. Additionally, losing a liquor license means a loss of liquor revenue which can cripple an establishment’s profits. Decoy operations are not just used to catch those selling alcohol to minors, they can also be used to check the validity of your alcohol education card and whether it is expired. Make sure your TAM® training is up-to-date or sign up today for one of our alcohol awareness classes.
Don’t put yourself or your business at risk. Always ask for identification, and get educated on effective ways to help stop teen drinking.
Resources
- Local Restaurant’s Liquor License Revoked for Selling to Minors – ABC23 Bakersfield
- Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 202 – Crimes Against Public Health and Safety
© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada
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