Alcohol Why So Many Restrictions Stay In Place


 

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Alcohol remains somewhat controversial in the United States; in some counties, it’s still illegal to sell alcohol on Sundays. While some people see alcohol for what it is — a perfectly safe substance when used responsibly — others still live with a Prohibition Era-like fear of alcohol. This is because, unfortunately, not everyone drinks alcohol responsibly, and for that matter not everyone sells alcohol responsibly. There’s a reason why there are so many restrictions put upon establishments that with to sell alcohol. You can’t sell alcoholic beverages without the proper licenses and permits — and really, you shouldn’t be allowed to. But how do you get those licenses and permits in the first place? Often, this can be most effectively done through the completion of an ABC class. For some, the idea of having to attend a class in order to sell alcohol is frustrating — and it can be, if you’re a person who drinks responsibly and understands the risks associated with partaking in alcohol. But it’s your consumer base that you need to be concerned about. Selling alcohol isn’t a right, but a privilege — and with good reason. The more safely alcohol is sold, the less risk there will be of people drinking irresponsibly. On a practical level, an ABC class also makes potential sellers aware of the specific restrictions that their states put upon selling alcohol. Let’s look into how the laws regarding alcohol range across the country — and why.

Bartending Restrictions And Why They Exist

Bartending may not seem to be, in theory, a difficult job. As any experienced bartender will tell you, this is not the case. But from a glance, it seems like the job largely involves a knowledge on mixing and serving drinks. So why is it that there are so many legal restrictions placed upon potential bartenders? The age at which a person can serve alcoholic beverages does vary — most states place the minimum age at 18. This doesn’t meant that a bartender will be 18, as most are 25 are older. Rather, that rule largely applies to potential restaurant servers who won’t be mixing drinks but serving them. Bartenders are usually expected to be older because they have a higher level of responsibility for drinkers. They work hard — usually a 10 to 12 hour shift, sometimes with no break. And they have to be very aware. Bartenders are the ones who decide whether or not to let a person drink. They have to keep relative track of how much a person has been drinking, and keep an eye on the signs of drunkenness. Bartenders sometimes have to make the call to ensure that a person doesn’t drive — and this is intimidating. If a single bartender makes a bad call that results in tragedy, the establishment at which they work could risk losing their liquor license.

Underage Drinking: Still A Major Issue

All of us have been told about the dangers of underage drinking — students are lectured about it throughout high school, and have been for decades. This doesn’t mean that people don’t drink while underage, unfortunately. The 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that about 7.7 million Americans between 12 and 20 are currently drinking alcohol. That’s about 20% of the age group for which alcohol consumption is illegal. If any establishment sells alcohol to minor, they can easily have their license to sell revoked. Therefore, it’s important that anyone working at an ABC store or bar — any establishment that sells alcohol, really — attends a class of some kind to learn how to tell whether an ID is fake or not, among other things.

Ultimately, these classes and laws are all about safety — yours, and that of the general public. Alcohol isn’t a bad thing, but it can be dangerous when approached irresponsibly. A good seller or serve of alcohol simply needs to be aware of that.

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