California ABC has been cracking down on alcohol violations lately in a big way. Recently more than 130 individuals were cited for allegedly furnishing alcohol to minors. Along with a citation comes a hefty price of a minimum $1000 and 24 hours of community service. While this fine is for an individual, what happens is the person cited works at an establishment caught selling alcohol to minors?? Well, the consequences are much worse! We explain more about the purpose of ABC and problems that can arise when not following all of the strict laws and regulations surrounding alcohol sales.
What is the purpose of the California ABC?
The ABC is responsible for enforcing California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Act. Furthermore, this act regulates the sale and service of alcoholic beverages. The agency has the power to issue citations, suspend or revoke licenses, and even seize alcohol and equipment from establishments that violate the law.
As previously stated, the ABC has been stepping up its enforcement efforts. This includes cracking down on bars and restaurants that break alcohol regulations. You may be wondering what the ABC is looking for? Below are the top 4 things the ABC is trying to prevent. In other words, these are the top 4 things you should not do!
- Serve alcohol to minors. It is illegal to serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. Bars and restaurants that are caught serving alcohol to minors can face fines, suspension and/or revocation of their alcohol license.
- Over-serve customers. Bars and restaurants have a responsibility to not over-serve customers. Over-serving can lead to drunk driving accidents and other alcohol-related incidents. Establishments that are caught over-serving customers can face fines, suspension and/or revocation of their license, and even criminal charges in some cases.
- Allowing illegal drug use on the premises. Bars and restaurants that allow illegal drug use on the premises can face fines, suspension and/or revocation of their license. Along with this, they can also face criminal charges.
- Operating without a license. Establishments that serve alcohol without a valid license can face fines and possible criminal charges.
How to avoid issues with ABC
The consequences for violating alcohol regulations can be severe. In addition to fines and license suspension or revocation, establishments may also face negative publicity and a loss of business. Customers may also be less likely to patronize an establishment that has been cited for breaking alcohol regulations. The best way to avoid any of these is to make sure everyone involved in the sale of alcohol is properly trained!
The California ABC requires everyone involved with the sale of alcohol to take an RBS course. RBS stands for Responsible Beverage Service. Taking a course is easy to do and can be done online. Comedy Seller Server lets you register, take the course, and get certified while being entertained. Once a course is completed, everyone is required to take a short exam.
The purpose of requiring everyone to take a seller server course followed by a final exam is to make sure everyone knows how to properly serve alcohol. In other words, avoid the 4 things listed above. Finally, when everyone is properly trained, it makes sure that alcohol is fun! Serious consequences can come from the responsibility of serving, no one wants that.
Overall, it is important for bars and restaurants to take alcohol regulations seriously and ensure that they are in compliance with the law. The ABC is actively enforcing these regulations, and establishments that break the law may face serious consequences. Make sure you get your RBS training done. You can do so by clicking here. Don’t wait, get started today.
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