You may not have been aware of this, but underage drinking is a serious problem in the United States. Alcohol is the most commonly used substance by teenagers in America.
Underage drinkers also present a serious dilemma for those who own or work in bars. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how to stop underage drinking, this article is for you.
We’ll explain why you as a bar employee should prevent underage drinking and how. In addition, we’ll introduce you to responsible beverage service training – or RBS training- and how receiving RBS training online can assist you in your efforts to be a better bar employee.
If you’re ready to improve the way your bar is run, then all you need to do is keep reading.
Why Prevent Underage Drinking?
Growing up, you probably heard all the reasons why you shouldn’t drink alcohol as a minor. It can cause minors to be more easily addicted, makes it easier for them to get into legal trouble, and rewires the way a minor’s brain works.
You know all of that, and you care about minors, but there’s also a very good reason why you personally should aim to prevent underage drinking at your bar.
If a bar is caught serving alcohol to minors, your business can face serious legal consequences. These legal consequences can include actions such as fines and suspension or loss of your bar’s liquor license.
In addition, the restaurant business owner or the bartender caught serving alcohol to minors can also face legal action. This could be anything from heavy fines to legal charges.
It’s important to protect minors from the results of underage drinking. We all agree on that.
However, it’s also important to protect yourself and your business. Not many people realize just how serious the results could be if you don’t do your part to prevent underage drinking. You don’t want to put your livelihood at risk that way.
How to Prevent Underage Drinking
Preventing underage drinking at your bar seems like an enormous undertaking. This isn’t the case- preventing underage drinking can be as easy as implementing a few simple policies.
We’ve outlined a few ideas to help give you a decent starting point.
Thorough ID Inspection
Bars have plenty of busy nights, which can make checking IDs difficult to do. However, taking a moment to closely inspect the ID can protect you from a lot of potential trouble.
One thing you could easily do is station someone at the door specifically to check IDs. This way, the work is getting done without slowing your restaurant business down, ensuring the service you provide is both great and legal.
Double Check Your Math
Even when you make sure to check IDs, you can run into problems. One specific problem that you could run into is misidentifying someone as the legal age to drink when they are not.
This happens because you might only glance at the birthdate and calculate it wrong. Preventing this error is easy- double-check the birthdate. Make sure that your math is done correctly.
Double-checking your math is a small way to prevent any disasters for your bar business.
Be Transparent With Employees
Lastly, be blunt with your employees. Make sure they know the specifics of the liability for serving alcohol to people they shouldn’t.
Once someone is very aware of the trouble it could cost, they’re likely to be much more careful when it comes to serving alcohol.
It’s important that you explain this to all new employees. Assume that they don’t know what they could be held responsible for, because they often don’t know.
Making sure that people are familiar with California alcohol laws may sound tedious, but will surely be a bar business saver.
Lastly, make sure that all of your employees complete the state-mandated responsible beverage service training.
What Is Responsible Beverage Service Training?
Responsible beverage service training, or RBS training, is a method of training all employees to understand California alcohol laws.
RBS training is legally required by the state of California. Any employee you hire must have a valid RBS Certification within sixty days of being hired.
This certification is not difficult to obtain. You can receive RBS training online at a very low cost. RBS certification lasts three years, meaning you need to be re-certified before expiration.
As a server or bartender it is good practice to keep your RBS certification up-to-date. This ensures you are regularly trained on all sorts of issues. RBS training means you can comply with state laws and you won’t freeze in the moment.
Receiving the proper training will make your employee a better bartender. They’ll have an easier time doing your job. In addition, they’ll be prepared for any situation you might come across.
As a bar owner, you’re probably wondering who needs the training. For example, does a bouncer need to be RBS certified? Do you need to be RBS certified?
The answer is yes. Any employee of a business with a liquor license should be RBS certified. This includes bouncers, servers, bartenders, and the owner.
If you have any employees who aren’t RBS-certified, you may have a harder time getting permission to serve alcohol on the premises. As a bar owner, that’s something you want to avoid. Make sure all your employees – and yourself – don’t let the RBS certification lapse.
Start RBS Training Online Today
Now that you’ve learned how to prevent underage drinking, we hope you’re ready to take the leap and get RBS training. Responsible Beverage Service Training will help you on your way to becoming one of the best bars around.
If you’re ready to receive RBS training online, then don’t wait- sign up for it today!
The process is extremely simple and will help improve the way your bar is run. You’ll thank yourself for it once you see the results.