Weekend Alcohol Compliance Checks

    53 establishments checked, 8 of those conducted illegal sales. Officers, working with two minors, 19 and 18 years old, checked for compliance at 53 businesses. Officers did notice an improvement among the 45 establishments who passed.  Many of those who passed recognized that something was not right and did the right thing. They asked another employee to take a second look at the ID's and recognized that they were minors before refusing to make the sale.  

   The citations given to servers and reports forwarded to ISP for administrative follow up are public record. 

    The establishments who had employees sell or provide alcohol to the teens were:

    What are Alcohol Sales Compliance Checks? Boise Police conduct these checks throughout the city frequently as part of an ongoing education and enforcement campaign aimed at the prevention of underage drinking and associated deaths or injuries. Teens aged 18 and 19 work with officers and will use their real Idaho State ID to attempt to purchase alcohol.

    Penalties of providing alcohol to underage youth:

    A person who sells or furnishes alcohol to an underage youth will face fines between $500 and $1,000 plus up to one year in jail.
Maximum Penalties for licensed establishments that sell alcohol to minors;

    1st offense within three years - 10 day license suspension or $1,000.00 fine
    2nd offense within three years - 30 day license suspension or 15 day suspension and $1,500.00 fine.
    3rd offense within three years - 180 day license suspension

    What can citizens do to help?

    Boise Police join Mothers Against Drunk Drivers in urging parents to talk to their kids about making smart choices and highlighting the dangers of drinking alcohol while under 21.

    A MADD survey has found parents have a greater influence than many parents might think over the choices their children make. Boise Police encourage parents to take advantage of a helpful web site provided by MADD: thepowerofparents.org to help identify ways parents and concerned adults can keep kids safe from the dangers of alcohol.

    Call Crime Stoppers:

    Boise Police encourage citizens who know of places who serve alcohol to minors, or of places who may be serving already intoxicated patrons to contact Crime Stoppers. Boise Police will follow up on citizen tips. You can contact Crime Stoppers at 343-COPS, or log onto www.343cops.com, or text CRIMES or 274637, subject: Tip236.

    DANGERS OF TEEN DRINKING from www.dontserveteens.gov. 

    Teens don't just drink. They drink to excess.

    More than 8 percent of eighth graders, 16 percent of sophomores, and 24 percent of seniors report recent binge drinking (5+ drinks on the same occasion).

    Statistics show that the majority of current teen drinkers got drunk in the previous month. That includes 50 percent of the high school sophomores who drink and 65 percent of the high school seniors who drink.

    Underage drinking is linked to injury and risky behavior.

    According to the U.S. Surgeon General, about 5,000 kids under 21 die every year as a result of underage drinking - from crashes, homicides, and suicides. Teens that drink also are at risk for a long list of other injuries and potential life-long alcohol abuse. Reducing underage drinking can reduce drinking-related harm.

    Brain Development and Alcohol Abuse: Research indicates that the human brain continues to develop into a person's early 20s, and that exposure of the developing brain to alcohol may have long-lasting effects on intellectual capabilities and may increase the likelihood of alcohol addiction.
    The age when drinking starts affects future drinking problems. For each year that the start of drinking is delayed, the risk of later alcohol dependence is reduced by 14 percent.

    Drinking & Driving: Car crashes are the leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 20. About 1,900 people under 21 die every year from car crashes involving underage drinking. Young people are more susceptible to alcohol-induced impairment of their driving skills. Drinking drivers aged 16 to 20 are twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as drinking drivers who are 21 or older.

    Suicide: Alcohol use interacts with conditions like depression and stress, and contributes to an estimated 300 teen suicides a year.
High school students who drink are twice as likely to have seriously considered attempting suicide, as compared to nondrinkers. High school students who binge drink are four times as likely to have attempted suicide, as compared to nondrinkers.

    Sexual Behavior: Current teen drinkers are more than twice as likely to have had sexual intercourse within the past three months than teens who don't drink. Higher drinking levels increase the likelihood of sexual activity. Adolescents who drink are more likely to engage in risky sexual activities, like having sex with someone they don't know or failing to use birth control.

    Other Risks: Teens who drink alcohol are more likely than nondrinkers to smoke marijuana, use inhalants, or carry a weapon.
Binge drinking substantially increases the likelihood of these activities.

    Academic Performance: A government study published in 2007 shows a relationship between binge drinking and grades. Approximately two-thirds of students with "mostly A's" are non-drinkers, while nearly half of the students with "mostly D's and F's" report binge drinking. It is not clear, however, whether academic failure leads to drinking, or vice versa.

    Let's work together and keep our kids safe! Online Resources:

http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/1003250241.aspx
http://www.thepowerofparents.org
http://www.drugfreeidaho.org/join-the-coalition/parents/