S.T.A.R. program yielding results
Contact: Nathan Jones 502-564-4850
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 21, 2007) -- The Kentucky Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) strongly encourages retailers and sellers of alcohol to go through the agency’s Server Training in Alcohol Regulations (S.T.A.R.) program. The ABC notes U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu’s recent call to action against underage drinking. The ABC commends the 22 communities that have mandated server training in the selling of alcohol and encourages more to follow suit.
S.T.A.R., which began in 2001, educates sellers and servers of alcohol about Kentucky statutes relating to alcohol sales, and informs them of their legal liabilities when serving alcoholic beverages. The program primarily focuses on making communities safer through education by reducing illegal alcohol sales to minors, as well as over-service to customers.
“S.T.A.R. has been adopted by many retailers and communities throughout Kentucky,” said Chris Lilly, executive director of the ABC. “The feedback is very positive as the training is centered on Kentucky law, which is not an element of other, more generic training programs available.”
Recent statistics show that since the start of the S.T.A.R. training, compliance rates for not selling to minors have risen to 87 percent for the state fiscal year 2006-2007. This comes after several years of being in the 70-75 percent range. During the same time, the Enforcement Branch has nearly doubled its Operation Zero Tolerance detail, which checks both by the drink and package retailers for compliance with Kentucky statutes and regulations. To date, more than 16,000 sellers and servers have been trained statewide through the program, and 3,000 have attended the training for special events.
“The reason we support the S.T.A.R. program is because it works,” says Roger Leasor, president of the Liquor Barn. “We’re asking our cashiers to enforce the law and in doing so, we needed to identify what tools we could give our cashiers. S.T.A.R. is a whole tool box.”
“I’ve attended the S.T.A.R. program and am very impressed with what they are teaching,” stated Lt. Stewart Walker of the London Police Department. “I feel this program should be state mandated to all servers and sellers of alcohol. It is beneficial to law enforcement as well as servers in the fight against underage drinking.”
ABC is an agency of the Department of Public Protection in the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet. The mission of ABC is to protect the public welfare and interest by regulating the alcoholic beverage industry in the commonwealth through licensing, education and enforcement of pertinent laws and regulations.
For more information regarding S.T.A.R., contact Sandra Watts at 502-564-4850 or visit ABC’s Web site, http://abc.ky.gov/education.
