In Reno, it really doesn’t pay to sell alcohol to minors.
There has been a lot of concern about restaurants, bars, and liquor stores selling to those who are under the legal age of 21. They become adults at the age of 18, so there are many people who just don’t think there is anything wrong with it.
Folks, it’s against the law, partly to keep it out of the hands of high school and most college students, and partly because there is always the hope that those who are older will be more responsible when they drink than those who are younger. It is also true that many 18 year olds are still growing and developing, and alcohol is just not good for your health.
So on Friday May 6, 2011, Detectives from the regional Street Enforcement Team (S.E.T.) in Reno had an undercover alcohol compliance check in the area. Join Together Northern Nevada (JTNN) was also involved and there were grants from the Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws (E.U.D.L.) that helped pay for the bust.
Detectives sent underage “decoys” into 20 places to see if they could obtain liquor. 13 refused, but 7 of the places sold liquor to the underaged person. The article listed all of the locations that failed: only the beginning of the consequences that they will reap. There will be hefty fines to pay, and it’s very likely that the employee who was responsible will no longer be employed there.
The SET Team also checked all of the employees to see if they were in compliance with the State of Nevada’s Alcohol Beverage Awareness Program. This means that they must have completed a valid “alcohol education” program, and must carry their Alcohol Education card with them. These training sessions teach them how to ask for valid ID and how to determine when people have had too much to drink. They also make sure that they are well aware of all the laws and penalties for breaking them.
Out of 20 store clerks, 16 had their cards, and only 4 did not. This means, of course, that there were 9 who have taken the training for their cards who still neglected to get valid ID from the underage decoy.
The SET Team will be in other areas throughout the year conducting similar operations. Those working in the sale of alcoholic beverages should take care – so that they uphold the law, and so that they don’t end up out of work because they don’t uphold it.
