May Brings Focus On Underage Drinking

High school and college graduations focus of police attention

Humboldt Sentinel
5/6/09
By Sentinel Staff

SACRAMENTO -- The California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has joined the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association (NLLEA) in its effort to get communities across the country to participate in Operation Save a Teen during the month of May, 2009.

In 2007, 188 persons under the age of 21 were killed in alcohol-related crashes that occurred in California.

In the month of May, NLLEA officers will focus on underage drinking enforcement with a goal to save one teen at a time, one incident at a time and one day or night at a time. In each of the 50 United States, it is illegal for persons under the age of 21 to use alcohol and it is illegal for persons to provide or furnish alcohol to persons under the age of 21.

ABC Director Steve Hardy says ABC investigators will be working throughout California to enforce the law and hopefully prevent alcohol-related tragedies.

“May is a month when families should be celebrating landmark events such as high school and college graduations and a wide variety of outdoor community events,” Hardy said. “Everyone needs to work together to keep those events from being marred by alcohol-related tragedies. We are committed to enforcing the law, creating safer communities and saving the lives of teens in our communities.”

For more information about this effort and about the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association, go to the website at www.nllea.org. If your agency is not a member of the NLLEA but would like to participate in this national effort, please contact Elizabeth Mattfeld, Executive Director at (240) 483-8922, or at bmattfeld@nllea.org.

ABC is a department of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, which is under the direction of Secretary Dale Bonner, a member of the Governor’s Cabinet.