Underage
Drinking: Success Stories
Montana
– July 30, 2003
of Problem
Strategies
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With support from the OJJDP
Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Initiative, community organizations, enforcement agencies, youth, and other concerned citizens are working collaboratively to
change local ordinances and enforcement practices.
Big Change in Big Sky Country
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Through a comprehensive approach over the last 3 years, the Minor
Alcohol Prevention Program in Billings, Montana, is starting to make a
change in the social norms regarding underage drinking in a State that has
been long known for its lax alcohol laws.
In response to the needs of alcohol merchants, the Identifying Underage
Buyers training seminar was designed and implemented by the Billings
Police Department (BPD) to help alcohol merchants comply with the minimum
legal purchase age law. Through on-going compliance checks, area alcohol
merchants are held accountable for training their employees, implementing
policies and procedures, and learning to refuse the sale of alcohol to
minors.
In the last 3 years, BPD has conducted more than 500 compliance checks,
and compliance rates have averaged 80%, an increase from 69% when the
first checks were conducted. They have found that local bars and casinos
tend to have higher compliance rates, whereas grocery and convenience
stores have lower rates of compliance with the minimum purchase age laws.
The Minor Alcohol Prevention Program also assisted in the creation of
Montana?s only Keg Registration Ordinance. The City of Billings began
tracking the sale of all kegs of beer sold at the retail level on July 1,
2002. Details on the responsibilities of the merchants, along with
consequences to comply are outlined in the Identifying Underage Buyers
training that is offered free of charge to all area alcohol licenses. To
date, BPD has not issued any keg registration violations, but they have
started to implement special police operations to check keg registration
compliance rates.
The Minor Alcohol Prevention Program has since joined the grassroots
organization, Montanans United Saving Lives (MUSL), which originated in
Billings to address issues related to minor-in-possession and
driving-under-the-influence legislation. During the January-April 2003
legislative session, MUSL worked with other Statewide organizations such
as MADD to push for passage of two bills: one to reduce the blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) standard for drinking and driving to .08 and the other
to prohibit open containers of alcohol in motor vehicles. Many members
participated in a variety of ways including letter writing, phone calls,
testifying, and having direct contact with State representatives and
senators. Although the open container law did not pass, the .08 BAC law
did. MUSL is now working on compiling a legislative report card.
?Our community has shared success as a result of many people working
together to combat a problem that has a staggering social, economic, and
emotional cost,? stated Lisa Posada-Griffin, Minor Alcohol Prevention
Coordinator. Through a collaborative effort of law enforcement and
grassroots groups in Billings, change is beginning to take hold in
Montana.
For more information, contact
Lisa Posada-Griffin, Minor Alcohol Prevention
[email protected].
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