Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service (RASS) is a unique coalition of retail, wholesale, public health and law enforcement organizations dedicated to reducing sales of alcohol to underage persons in North Carolina. This type of coalition and its success are unprecedented in North Carolina and in the United States.
How was it formed and what does it do?
In October 1998, the Secretary of the NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, with support from a state public health coalition, convened a meeting to discuss what industry can do to reduce sales of alcohol to underage persons. Participants included top retail and wholesale executives from across the state, Alcohol Beverage Control and Alcohol Law Enforcement officials, and key government leaders. They created the RASS Advisory Board to develop and implement a comprehensive, seven-point plan.
The seven-point plan targets the three points of influence under a retailer's control. The plan's objectives include:
"Pre-Sale"- Focusing on prevention... to discourage underage persons from attempting to purchase alcohol or to use fake identification to purchase alcohol or enter a place where alcohol is sold.
RASS Actions:
- Supported legislation to penalize the use of fake identification to enter places where alcohol is sold or consumed. It also gives retailers access to the Division of Motor Vehicles records to verify driver license information.
- Develop and promote the use of in-store signage that lets community members know the retailer's commitment and intent not to sell to underage persons.
"Point-of-Sale" - Focusing on compliance... to ensure that sellers and servers are properly trained and rewarded for following the rules and regulations regarding age-restricted products; to make it easier for employees to accurately calculate a person's age; and to increase the penalties for selling alcohol to underage persons.
RASS Actions:
- Supported legislation to get color-coded driver licenses in North Carolina so employees can look at the color of the license to help determine age.
- Secured grant funds to expand law enforcement's 'secret shopper' program, which helps reward employees for checking identification and identify those who need additional training and reinforcement to not sell to underage persons.
- Supported legislation to increase penalties on sellers/servers for selling alcohol to underage persons.
- Developing ways to ensure access to seller/server training via the Internet and to promote participation in Alcohol Law Enforcement's BARS training program.
"After Sale" - Focusing on awareness... to ensure that adults who purchase alcohol are aware of the underage drinking problem and the consequences for providing alcohol to underage persons; and to raise awareness of the opportunity for them to be responsible -- to choose to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
RASS Actions:
- Supported legislation to increase penalties on adult providers who provide alcohol to underage persons.
- Developing and promoting in-store signage and community posters to raise awareness of the underage drinking problem and consequences for providing alcohol to underage persons.
Why do we need RASS?
Underage drinking is a community problem that requires a community response. Reducing sales of alcohol to underage persons is an important strategy in addressing the underage drinking problem. RASS provides a forum for retailers and law enforcement to come together and coordinate their efforts to make change possible.
RASS also strives to help the community reduce other sources of alcohol for underage persons. Two-thirds of North Carolina's teens report that they get alcohol from someone over 21 buying or providing it for them. Recognizing this, RASS is working at the state and local levels, with community coalitions, college campuses, local law enforcement and public health partners to get the message out that everyone is responsible and it's up to all of us to do our part to reduce underage drinking.
