2000_1120_packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

� �, � �' � �' �' �' � PREFACE Alcohol consumption by young people has a profound impact on our nation, our communities, our families, and our children. Alcohol use by young people is related to traffic crashes, crime, teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, suicides, drownings, and poor performance in school. Teenage drinking also has a direct economic impact on our communities; the costs of law enforcement, health care, education, treatment, and other services increase as resources are diverted to attend to the painful and often tragic consequences of teenage drinking. at can be done? In recent years many organizations have attempted to identify innovative and e ective met�to reduce underage drinking. Some approaches have focused on educating young people about the dangers of drinking and equipping them with the knowledge and resources to make responsible choices. Other approaches have tried to strengthen the relationships young people have with family, peers, teachers and others who can influence the immediate social environment that affects the behavior of young people. Still others have focused on the array of adult institutions that manufacture, distribute, sell, provide, market, promote, and regulate alcohol. No sin le a roach will ' r But each approach, wisely implemented and used in combination with other promising strategies, may reduce the scope of the problem and limit the damage to America's ne�t generation. This manual is designed for public officials, law enforcement officers, and alcohol-regulation agents as a practical guide for developing and implementing a compliance check system f�r establishments that sell or serve alcohol. E�tensive research in recent years indicates that while many alcohol establishments act responsibly in refusing sales to underage buyers, a signifi�ant number of establishments continue to sell to people under the legal drinking age of 21. We have attempted to make this manual as user-friendly and practical as possible. We have drawn from the experiences of many communities around the nation that already conduct compliance checks, as well as from the experience of numerous respected and knowledgeable leaders in the law enforcement community. We hope the manual will remove some of the practical barriers to enforcement of alcohol laws. Effective enforcement is one of the keys to reducing alcohol sales to minors and building safe, healthy communities for youth. Alexander C. Wagenaar, PhD Professor and Director, Alcohol Epidemiology Program University of Minnesota August, 1998 A�co� EPioaaio�o�v Pao�anM UNIVEpSITY OF MINNESOTA