The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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March 18, 2010

Our View: Drinking enforcement must be fair

The Free Press

MANKATO — A plan to curb drunk driving that would lead investigators back to bars has merit if it can be proactive instead of reactive and use carrots instead of sticks.

Bar and restaurant owners know they have a responsibility to cut people off when they’ve had too much to drink, and some say they have no problem with the reach-back enforcement effort. Some, however, worry, they will be unfairly singled out, or will be charged and fined even if they weren’t able to discern the excessive drunk behavior of patrons.

Those are all fair questions. We have to keep in mind the ultimate goal of the new program is to promote public safety and keep everyone aware of when people might be dangerous due to their excessive drinking.

The enforcement program called Retail Alcohol Vendor  Enforcement and Education has been operated in Twin Cities suburbs for a couple of years now. There appear to be no major problems with fairness. Department of Public Safety Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement officers patrol bars to see if people who are obviously intoxicated are being served. If they witness such a case, they immediately speak to the bar owners.

That’s the education piece of the program that is proactive and helpful.

Bars face more severe sanctions including prosecution and fines if law enforcement arrests a drunk driver with blood alcohol content at least twice the legal limit and that person was someone an agent had already noticed as having drank too much during one of their patrols.

To their credit, state and local law enforcement had face-to-face meetings with some dozen of the 60 bar owners in Mankato to explain the program, and provide education packets for others. Education, of course, is key for bartenders and servers and it’s also a proactive, positive way to prevent drunk driving.

We hope the program also raises awareness of bar owners for making sure their staffs know their policies on serving people who appear to have had too much to drink. This kind of enforcement effort is a good reminder that all have responsibility in public safety.

 

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