A D.C. Council Member said Monday that he wants to stiffen penalties for retailers who sell alcohol to minors, at least for those merchants who flagrantly peddle liquor to teenagers even after seeing their real IDs.
Ward 1 Council Member Jim Graham said such neglect “shocks the conscience” and ought to be followed by at least a one-day liquor license suspension.
“They should know that if they’re casual or cavalier about this, then they won’t be selling this product for a matter of days,” Graham, chairman of the consumer and regulatory affairs committee, said during a hearing on the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration’s proposed fiscal 2007 budget.
As an undercover operative with the National Capital Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking, 16-year-old Courtney Allen has seen it many times.
She walks into a liquor store or restaurant. The merchant asks her age and she doesn’t lie. Her District-issued identification clearly shows, in red type, that the Woodrow Wilson High School junior doesn’t turn 21 for five years.
But she’s sold the alcohol anyway.
“With the merchants, they are able to get away with sales to minors,” Allen told the committee.
The sellers generally face no more than a fine from a waiting police officer or inspector, participants say. But Graham said it’s time “to take away discretion” in the most blatant cases.
Members of the ABC Board said they support tougher fines for underage sales, and Board Member Eartha Isaac said it may be time for retailers to receive “ID check training.”
Penalties for alcohol sales to minors in D.C.
» First violation: No less than $1,000
» Second violation within two years: No less than $2,000
» Third violation within three years: No less than $4,000
» Fourth violation within four years: License revoked
