Could there be a simple solution to helping curb the problem of underage Drinking?

A lot of the responsibility, cost, penalties and burden seems to fall on the bar owners, although most of the bar owners and off sale establishments do everything they can to NOT sell booze to minors. I don’t know of ANY bar owner who wants to serve under-age people and most do all they can to prevent it.

I have personal knowledge of bars in our area that spend several thousand dollars yearly for security and I.D. door checkers, plus hundreds of dollars in bounties for our employees who catch minors in their bar or attempting to get in.

Waitresses, bartenders, door people and security are required to take server training and do everything they possibly can to prevent underage people from coming in to their bar, but the kids keep trying. There are so many sophisticated, professional false I.D.’s being made, that only the highly trained, careful observers can catch them.

A simple solution: Put the responsibility onto those minors purchasing or attempting to purchase booze. Make it a felony for anyone using a FALSE ID for the purpose of buying alcohol or attempting to enter a bar. After all, this can be a life or death issue right? Maybe even a law that under-age people caught with booze or attempting to do so may not get a driver’s license till they are 21 years of age. Wow, that would get them thinking before drinking.

The minors who purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol (In most cases, if caught and convicted) receive little or no punishment. The bar owner faces stiff fines, loss of license, closure and a loss of wages for bar employees and owners. (Not to mention the loss in city, state, federal taxes and financial loss to the vendors and entertainers).

Let’s make it a SERIOUS VIOLATION and punishment for these people to break the law. Make under age people take responsibility for their actions. Why Not? They are the ones causing the problem.

Now, in defense of the younger folks, I really do believe that if they are old enough to fight and die for our country then they are old enough to have a drink. After all, booze is called an adult beverage and we say you must be an adult to drink. We even call dirty movies and books “Adult” entertainment and what does any younger person want to be? AN ADULT!

Of course we all know that “being” an adult means being responsible for your actions, and for the ones under age we’ll begin teaching them to be responsible for their actions.

Tom “Road” Blair

Website: www.tomroadblair.com