As temperatures rise, so do the attempts of underage purchasers of alcohol
Now that summer is here, it’s a good idea to remember school is out for millions of young people across our state. And while most of them are responsible individuals with productive things to do, there are others who are left to their own devices on how to occupy their time.
For some young people, the temptation to “party” with beer and other forms of alcohol may be difficult to resist. And when they succumb to such temptations, the results can be catastrophic, including DUIs, car crashes, alcohol poisoning and violent behavior.
This means we all have a responsibility to help keep a lid on underage drinking. We all have underage children or know people who do.
Checkers at our stores have to be especially careful to check the identification of customers who try to buy alcohol. This is a crucial obligation for checkers, not just for their own sakes, but for all of our members in all of the industries we serve.
A busy checker might feel tempted to speed things along by skipping the request for ID, but this would be a costly mistake.
Regulators are aggressively cracking down on alcohol sales to minors. Huge fines can be levied against the company and the individual checker as well.
Employers have strict policies requiring checkers to request iden tification. These are practical policies which protect employees and their employers.
Even with the best checkers, there are people in line who will get frustrated by having to wait while someone else is checked for ID.
The best advice for everyone, whether they are in the store to work or just to buy groceries, is to stay relaxed and make sure everyone stays safe.
