News Release
Commissioners and Attorney General Announce New Effort
to Curb Underage Alcohol Sales
August 9, 2006
JOHN ARCHARD, TOBACCO ENFORCEMENT COORDINATOR
(207) 626-8837
STEVE MCCAUSLAND, DEPT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY SPOKESMAN (207) 626-3811
Public
Safety Commissioner Michael Cantara, Attorney General Steven Rowe
and Health and Human Services Commissioner Brenda Harvey today announced
a contract with the Maine Sheriffs Association to conduct statewide
compliance inspections of retail liquor licensees. The inspections
will assure that stores that sell alcoholic beverages comply with
the law to ID anyone age 27 or under and refuse sales to anyone under
21 or those that fail to present valid identification.
The
contract, funded by a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention awarded to the Maine Department of Health
and Human Services, Office of Substance Abuse, will be administered
by the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Department. Enforcement
authority is extended to the Maine Sheriffs Association by the Department
of Public Safety and direct program administration will be overseen
by the Maine State Police, Liquor Licensing Unit.
The
Maine Sheriffs Association has conducted inspections of tobacco sellers
under contract with the Department of Health and Human Services since
1997 as part of the State’s comprehensive tobacco prevention
program. During that time the state has seen a 50% decline in youth
smoking.
Public
Safety Commissioner Cantara said, “This contract will greatly
expand the resources we have to deal with underage drinking. We have
been working with many local police departments to address alcohol
related violations and this contract compliments those efforts and
will allow statewide enforcement with agents experienced in underage
sales laws. Store owners and managers should take this effort seriously
and train their employees to obey the law. Violators will face fines
and could lose their licenses if they do not comply with the law.”
Attorney
General Rowe added “It is imperative that we keep alcohol out
of the hands of children. Youth drinking is a major pediatric
health crisis that has devastating consequences for our children,
communities and economy. We now know that alcohol can
cause serious damage to a child’s developing brain and so we
must do more to ensure that children do not drink.
Health and Human Service Commissioner
Harvey said, “Our efforts to combat substance abuse are enhanced
by cooperative efforts like this among agencies and law enforcement.
Combined with the community work being done to educate the public
by the Office of Substance Abuse and many local and statewide advocates,
we look forward to positive results from these efforts.”
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