Tag: binge drinking

Patrons Behaving Badly – Avoiding Trouble and Disturbances at Your Establishment

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Ask any seasoned security professional, and they’ll tell you they’ve seen some patrons behaving very badly at some point in their career. Donna Hood Crecca for Nightclub & Bar highlights this fact in her article, “Do the Right Thing.” This article focuses on security policies and procedures in place during a January incident at Temple Nightclub in San Francisco that resulted in a fatality and other injuries. A patron was knocked out and later died after a fight inside of the club; a second man was also injured, and another fight outside the club left two others stabbed with broken bottles.

What makes this unfortunate incident worth noting is that security procedures were in place and considered by police to have been more than adequate on the night in question. Club management examined and further enhanced these procedures after the tragic evening.

While these types of incidents are rare, news like this serves as a reminder. Do you have adequate policies in place to avoid trouble and disturbances at your establishment? Remember, bartenders and servers need to be concerned not only with the behavior or state of their direct customer, but how they can effect or interact with others around them. Guests are coming to your restaurant or bar to have a good time and enjoy themselves, no one wants to be harassed or otherwise made uncomfortable.

You can learn more about managing problem patrons from seasoned industry professionals with real-world experience by taking the Techniques of Alcohol Management (TAM) ® course offered by TAM® of Nevada. Here are some quick tips for hospitality workers to use:

  1. It’s easier to stop a fight before it starts.
  2. Keep an eye on your guests.
  3. Always understand and follow company policies and procedures.

You can read more about who you can legally refuse to serve or ask to leave in our blog, “Who Can You Legally Refuse to Serve or Ask to Leave? Know Your Rights! ”

What are some of your house policies about guest safety and handling disturbances at your establishment?

Resources

Do The Right Thing – Nightclub & Bar

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Published on by TAM of Nevada1 Comment

We here at TAM® of Nevada like to promote alcohol awareness and responsible drinking year round. However, we’re happy to help spread the message that April is Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This is an opportunity to raise awareness of alcohol abuse and encourage people to make healthy, safe life choices.

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to health problems, including alcohol poisoning, hangovers, and an increased risk of heart disease. 3 in 10 adults drink at levels that put them at risk for alcoholism, liver disease, and other problems, and nearly 18 million Americans have alcoholism or related problems (NIAAA). These are “sobering” numbers that heighten the role that servers and sellers have in protecting their communities.

This April, during Alcohol Awareness Month, TAM® of Nevada encourages you to take this time to educate yourself about the dangers of alcohol abuse. Good judgment and knowledge of the Techniques of Alcohol Management (TAM) ® are crucial qualities in a service professional; and Alcohol Awareness Month is an opportunity for you to showcase your training.

Alcohol abuse is a dangerous problem. This month, reflect on your own habits and those of your patrons. Do you recognize the signs of alcohol abuse and binge drinking in yourself or others? You can learn more about the dangers of alcoholism in hospitality workers by reading our blog ‘Warning – Hospitality Workers May Be at Risk for Alcohol Abuse,” and learn more about spotting binge drinkers by reading out blog, “Beware of Binge Drinkers.”

If you recognize a drinking problem in yourself, a loved one, or a customer, it is time to take action by making changes in your life, or making suggestions to others on ways to get help. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has published a helpful guide titled, “How to Cut Down on Your Drinking,” to help you form an action plan to tackle the problem. Some of their tips to cut down include:

  1. Avoid temptation at home. By keeping little or no alcohol around at home, you won’t be tempted to overindulge.
  2. Learn how to say no. It may not be easy to be around other people who are drinking without imbibing yourself, but learning how to politely, but firmly say no can be empowering. You should let people know you’re trying to cut back or quit, and stay away from anyone who pushes you to drink.
  3. Keep busy with other activities. Find a hobby or activity that you enjoy and focus your energy on staying active doing something that doesn’t involve drinking.

Finally, remember one should never be afraid to ask for the help they need. One can ask for help from a friend, family member or doctor if necessary. How will you promote safe choices and alcohol awareness this month?

Resources

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Teen Drinking is a Dangerous Business

Published on by TAM of Nevada3 Comments

Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). These numbers are alarming, and service professionals should be diligent about ensuring that they are checking IDs and using their alcohol awareness training to avoid contributing to the problem.

Some adults are comfortable allowing their teenagers to drink at home, the thought process often being, “if my teenager is going to imbibe, I’d rather they do it at home under my supervision, and I don’t have to worry about them getting behind the wheel of a car or harming themselves”. Teenage drinking is dangerous, regardless of where it occurs, or who is supervising. Teens can develop dangerous drinking habits, and supervising adults should be diligent about promoting alcohol awareness and age appropriate life choices. Additionally, teens are more likely to binge drink than their adult counterparts. According to the National Society on Drug Use and Health, 72% of 18- to 20-year-old drinkers reported heavy drinking in the past month. (NSDUH).

Also alarming, a new study led by researchers at Indiana University, and summarized by CNN, shows teen problem drinking is not a phase, and could be a predictor of alcohol dependence in adulthood.

It only takes a minute to check an ID and prevent a minor from entering a bar and buying a drink, but what about off-site sales and service? Gas stations, grocery stores and liquor stores are all places that teens turn to in order to purchase liquor, and staffers at those establishments should take steps to ensure they are doing all they can to prevent illegal sales.

Service professionals must be aware of the facts and dangers of teenage drinking. These service professionals are required to obtain alcohol awareness training, and will learn valuable real-world information for dealing with these types of situations in their TAM® training. Off-site premises workers don’t necessarily know that if they sell beer and liquor to a legal adult, the adult won’t provide that liquor to teenagers, but using your best judgment and following store procedures will help to keep things safe and legal.

The national campaign We Don’t Serve Teens makes excellent and common-sense suggestions for helping to curb teenage drinking from off-site sales, “Create and maintain sales and service policies that every staffer should follow.” (We Don’t Serve Teens). Everyone involved in sales should be aware of store policies regarding acceptable forms of ID, when and how to refuse a sale, etc.

Retailers and off-site sales professionals should be diligent about checking IDs as well to make sure teenagers are not trying to purchase liquor with fake or borrowed identification. To learn more about recognizing a fake or borrowed ID, refer to our blog post, “Are Minors Using Fake IDs and Sneaking Past You?” Most establishments also have a guidebook, like the I.D. Checking Guide, for validating various forms of identification. Ask your manager if you have a guide like this in your establishment and refer to it if needed. The I.D. Checking Guide can be purchased from TAM® here.

Taking steps to stop teen drinking is everyone’s job. Parents, teens, workers, communities and others all have to work to make a difference. For more ways to help curb teens’ access to alcohol, refer to We Don’t Serve Teens’ suggestions.

What are some tricks that you’ve seen used by fake ID holders? How else do you think service workers can help curb teen drinking?

Resources

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Big Holiday Parties Are Upon Us!

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Everyone is getting revved up for the holiday season and big holiday parties! What does that mean to you as a server, seller, security officer, operator or establishment owner?  You need to be prepared.

  1. Servers, sellers , managers and owners – Make sure your alcohol education card (TAM Card®) is current and in your possession. If your TAM Card® has expired, make sure you retake the training and get your new card before the busiest part of the holiday season is here.
  2. Servers — Be on your toes and observe those in your establishment. Watch how much you are serving and how often. Do the math and keep track of estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels. Be sure that your guests are getting enough food and water while they are enjoying their alcoholic beverages. If one of the guests in the group you are serving becomes intoxicated, make sure that they have a safe ride home. Designated driver services and taxis can help get people home safely and without risk to themselves or others.
  3. Sellers — When you have customers coming into your retail store to purchase alcohol, make sure that they are not already intoxicated when you sell to them. Also, inform your employees to beware of potential third party sales and keep an eye out for any minors that are hanging out in your parking lot and approaching patrons about buying them liquor.
  4. Security Officers — Big party nights equal higher energy levels, increased levels of excitement and overindulgence. Be visible and interact with your establishment’s guests to defuse potential issues. Be extra diligent when checking IDs to ensure that you keep the underage out of your 21 and over establishment!
  5. Operators and Owners — Safeguard your establishments by letting your staff know your expectations for properly handling certain situations, like when they need to cut people off and what to do with minors who are trying to enter your establishment. With extra law enforcement out and about over the holidays, you want to make sure that all your servers, sellers and security staff have their alcohol education cards (TAM Cards®) on them at all times.

Guests are also responsible for keeping themselves in check. However, we all know that alcohol lowers inhibitions and affects good judgment, which means there are times when you need to step in and take control of certain situations.

Remember, hospitality is all about creating a fun experience and maintaining a safe environment for your guests and patrons. To achieve these goals, you may have to cut someone off or refuse to serve or sell to a guest because their behavior is negatively affecting the experience for others.

We would love to hear from you! What recommendations do you have for keeping the holidays fun and safe for your guests this season?

© 2010 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada