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Nearly half of restaurants, <br />bars served minors'liquor <br /> <br /> by Jim Boyle <br /> Staff writer <br /> The legal age for drinking <br /> alcohol is 21, but that isn't- <br /> stopping youth in Sherburne <br /> County from getting sold and <br /> served alcohol. <br /> A sting operation was con- <br /> ducted by the Sherburne <br /> County Health and law <br /> enforcement agencies in <br /> December. <br /> The sting found 19 bars and <br /> restaurants in Sherburne <br /> County that broke the law by <br /> selling or serving alcohol to <br /> underage youth. <br /> Youth, working with local <br /> law enforcement agencies, <br /> attempted to purchase alcohol <br /> in 42 establishments. They <br /> were able to get alcohol in 45 <br /> percent of them. <br /> The sell rate was slightly <br /> higher in Elk River, where <br /> seven of 15 establishments (47 <br /> percent) sold alcohol to under- <br /> age youth. <br /> The initiative is part of a <br />cooperative project imple- <br />mented by the Sherburne <br />County Public Health, the <br />Sherburne County Attorney's <br />Office and local law enforce- <br />ment agencies. It is intended <br />to reduce youth access to alco- <br />hol in the communities of <br />Sherburne County. <br /> The youth used in the com- <br />pliance checks were assessed <br />by a panel of community mem- <br />bers. Youth found it easiest to <br />get served at eating establish- <br /> <br /> ments. Convenience stores <br /> and liquor stores did a better <br /> job of following the law. <br /> Becker had the highest sell <br /> rate (75 percent). Three of the <br /> four Becker establishments <br /> checked sold to minors. <br /> Clear Lake's only establish- <br /> ment to dispense alcohol did <br /> not sell to a minor. <br /> In Zimmerman, only one of <br /> four establishments sold to <br /> underage youth. Five out of <br /> eight sold to underage youth <br /> in Big Lake. <br /> The initiative is the first in a <br /> long-term effort to reduce the <br /> level of access youth have to <br /> alcohol. <br /> The compliance checks will <br />be repeated and sellers- <br />/servers will risk being cited. <br />Providing alcohol to a minor is <br />a gross misdemeanor, punish- <br />able with a $3,000 fine and/or <br />up to a year in jail. Licensees <br />could risk losing their license <br />as well. <br /> Owners and managers <br />received notice of this project <br />in July 1996 and were encour- <br />aged to look at their policies <br />and practices to ensure that <br />the age of sale laws were being <br />followed within their organi- <br />zation. <br /> Although. this particular <br />effort focused on the sellers/ <br />servers of alcohol, public <br />health officials warn that it is <br />also the responsibility of mem- <br />bers of the community to fight <br />this problem. <br /> <br />Elk River Star News / Wednesday, January 8, 1997 <br /> <br /> <br />