The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) announced that it has been awarded a $1.8 million grant, which will help fund several departmental programs that increase public safety by combatting underage drinking and educating licensees about alcoholic beverage laws. Additionally, the grant resources will be utilized for holiday enforcement operations throughout California. To maximize the public safety campaign relating to alcoholic beverage use and sale, this grant allows ABC to award grants to local law enforcement agencies. These local law enforcement grant dollar amounts vary from $10,000 to $25,000.
“Keeping alcohol out of the hands of youth is a priority for the ABC,” said ABC Director Jacob Appelsmith. “California had the second-highest number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in the U.S. with 1,120 in 2017. This grant will help reduce youth access to alcohol, and increase safety in communities throughout California through ABC Education and Prevention Programs.”
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The grant will run through the end of September 2020. The goal of the grant is to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors, and reduce alcohol-related crime through multiple enforcement, educational, and prevention programs conducted by ABC Agents and local law enforcement officers.
A portion of the grant funds will be used for holiday enforcement efforts. ABC programs funded through the grant include Minor Decoy and Shoulder Tap Decoy operations, Informed Merchants Preventing Alcohol-Related Crime Tendency (IMPACT) inspections, Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drug (LEAD) trainings and Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies (TRACE) trainings.
Minor Decoy and Shoulder Tap Decoy operations are used to reduce youth access to alcohol. TRACE involves in-depth ABC investigations of serious incidents including: vehicle collisions, alcohol overdoses, poisonings and assaults involving minors, where alcohol is a contributing factor. IMPACT is a program used by ABC to educate licensees, increase compliance with alcoholic beverage laws, and help prevent underage drinking. The LEAD program educates businesses on laws involving the sale and service of alcoholic beverages.
ABC protects communities through education, and by administering prevention and enforcement programs designed to increase compliance with California’s alcoholic beverage laws. ABC licensees and their employees are encouraged to take ABC’s free four-hour LEAD training classes to help achieve higher compliance with alcoholic beverage laws.
To learn more about ABC programs that help protect communities, prevent alcohol-related harm, and save lives, visit https://www.abc.ca.gov/. ABC’s mission is to provide the highest level of service and public safety to the people of the State through licensing, education, and enforcement.
ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.