Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Underage clients served half the time

Alcohol Compliance Task Force ‘sting’ brings warnings to bartenders

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By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

Bartender Mike Broman serves a beer to a legal-age customer at the Wicked Spud in Hailey Monday night.

Underage drinking in the valley is made easier than it should be because alcohol servers are not always checking the ages of customers.

A recent Blaine County Alcohol Compliance Task Force "sting" operation found that nine out of 19 bars, stores and restaurants tested did not check the identifications of underage customers.

The sting operation was the first of its kind in the valley. It involved sending 19- to 20-year-old people into alcohol-selling establishments to buy drinks. They were backed up by undercover law enforcement officers who stepped in when a drink was served.

All law-enforcement agencies in Blaine County were involved in the operation. In Idaho, it is illegal to serve alcohol to anyone under 21.

Bartenders and other alcohol servers who broke the law by selling to minors were given a warning this time. The penalty for a first offense of selling alcohol to a minor is a $500-$1,000 fine and up to one year in jail.

Letters went out to all alcohol-serving establishments earlier this summer to inform proprietors about the test beforehand. The Blaine County Drug Coalition also offered training to alcohol servers to help them comply with the law.

"We will continue to test regularly," said Blaine County Drug Coalition Director Terry Basolo. "We want to get 100 percent compliance."

Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com

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