Alcohol Compliance Rates Backsliding

Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI), is a substance abuse prevention coalition, serving Burt, Cuming, Stanton, and Madison Counties. HCI reports that the rates of alcohol compliance failure for businesses selling alcohol to underage youth has been increasing in the past two years. Alcohol compliance checks are a type of prevention strategy that deters alcohol outlets from selling alcohol to underage youth. The Nebraska State Patrol or local police officials supervise undercover youth who try to buy alcohol; if the attempt is successful, the business is penalized. Compliance rates in 2013 were 96% and they have decreased to 88% in 2015. Selling alcohol to a minor is against the law. Allowing a person who is under the legal age of 21 to buy alcohol not only puts the business at risk, it also puts its staff and our youth at risk.

HCI provides FREE Responsible Beverage Service Training classes to On Premise and Off Premise businesses. This class, TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) is free to all business owners, managers, and staff involved in the sale of alcohol and liquor. TIPS training is designed to help liquor license holders and staff in identifying intoxicated customers, checking ID’s, confidently intervening and resolving troublesome situations. The training is a one-time 3-5 hour class. TIPS training is approved by the Nebraska Liquor Commission and taught by local certified trainers. Persons successfully passing the TIPS training are certified for three years.

Businesses that recently failed the alcohol compliance checks have been contacted by HCI and encouraged to attend a TIPS training. The class is provided free of charge and are scheduled at the convenience of the business. Businesses that recently passed the compliance checks are also invited to attend a TIPS training. It is important that all servers and sellers of alcohol learn how to encourage responsible drinking.

This FREE training is being made available through grant funding provided to the Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department. If you are interested in attending a TIPS training, please contact Kathy Becker at 402-529-2233 or email her at kathy@elvphd.org.