NewsSun.com

Published June 4, 2010

By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY

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SEBRING -- Underage drinking continues to be a major problem throughout the United States. The idea of drinking as a rite of passage is dying hard.

In 2004, 10 percent of individuals who were admitted into alcohol treatment centers in Florida were between 12 and 20 years of age.

While the majority of young people do not use alcohol, those numbers are still staggering.

Which is why the "Be The Wall" campaign was recently launched.

The goal of the program is to reduce the amount of underage drinking.

Debbie Lees is the substance abuse response guide coordinator for the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

She said that on the one hand, parents are a problem -- 14 percent of teens get their alcohol from their own homes, sometimes with consent.

While there is a movement to better educate families about the long-term physical dangers and short-term risks to which teens are exposed, there is a campaign to educate the purveyors of alcohol as well.

The hope is that all adults will join together to became a wall, standing between adolescents and alcohol.

Wednesday, seminars for managers, clerks and servers were held at the La Quinta Inn.

A wide range of local businesses responded to the invitations Lees sent out. From Hen Scratch Farms to BP Stations, to the Highlands Ridge Golf Course, and the Elks Lodge in Sebring, restaurants, bars, package and convenience stores sent representatives.

Lees, representatives from law enforcement agencies, and trainers from three different private companies specializing in educating alcohol vendors, explained the laws, liabilities and responsibilities for establishments with liquor licenses.

Beyond the main motive of being responsible citizens, businesses face stern consequences for selling to those under age 21. The establishment can lose its license for short periods, or altogether. Stiff fines can be levied and jail time is possible for individuals, including clerks or servers. Sentences can range from two months to five years depending circumstances.

In the event of an alcohol-related traffic accident, the establishment and its employees as individuals face civil suits as well as criminal charges.

Attendees were given practical information about how to correctly interpret IDs so fake ones can be caught. They were also taught what questions to ask and what to look for when approached by a customer.

Remember, they were told more than once, you have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason.

Capt. Jeff Barfield, of the sheriff's office, told the group the last thing the police wanted to do was arrest servers and managers. In order to ensure that vendors were standing between young people and alcohol, however, they would be conducting undercover operations sending adolescents into stores to make sure young people weren't being served. "We need to change the culture in the county," Barfield said.

"Well-informed employees are the first line of defense," said Rick Kenna, of Regulatory Compliance Services, one of the private training vendors.

The reason the situation is so serious, he said, is because alcohol is a depressant drug. It reduces activity in the central nervous system and can cause permanent brain damage. It also severely affects judgment.

Given that teens are hard wired to be reckless, impulsive and illogical in the first place, the effects of alcohol can lead to disaster.

Adolescents have only to drink half as much as adults to suffer the same negative consequences.

The audience was told that alcohol is not digested. It enters the body through the tissues of the mouth, stomach and intestines -- which is why people get drunk more quickly on an empty stomach. They were also told it takes an hour for the body to process one ounce of liquor, and that the full effects of alcohol peak about a half hour after the drink.

The subject of active-duty soldiers was brought up, because so many are 18 to 20 years old, and therefore under age.

Mike McClain, president of Sensible Education for Responsible Vendors & Employees told the audience to be strong in the face of requests for service by these young men and women, even if they were headed into a war zone.

One of the main dangers, he said, was the mix of alcohol and motorcycles among the men. "Motorcycles are the biggest killer of soldiers except war," he said.

For additional information, call Lees at 402-7312.

Source:  http://www.newssun.com/news/0604-ct-alcohol

By AIYANA BAIDA

Highlands Today

Published: June 4, 2010

SEBRING - The consequences to serving alcohol to minors can put an establishment out of business and servers behind bars.

With tough laws against serving alcohol to minors, bartenders and servers have to know what to look for.

Bartender Gail Gillotti has seen and heard it all. She can spot the best of the best of fake IDs without a flinch.

"It's pretty easy to tell a fake," Gillotti said.

She's been serving patrons drinks at the Why Not Lounge in Sebring for 12 years. After 8 p.m. no one under 21 years old is allowed, so bar employees card everyone, even 40- and 50-year-olds.

"Nowadays it's hard to tell how old they are," Gillotti said.

Shooter's bartender Christy Vietmeier says that fake IDs and patrons trying to pass as over 21 with someone else's ID are common.

"It happens all the time," Vietmeier said.

But she's learned ways to distinguish a fake through the numbers on a driver's license.

That's what bartenders, managers and restaurant employees learned from Drug Free Highlands' Alcohol Vendor Training session on Wednesday.

These vendors learned that stopping underage drinking by properly checking an ID can save their job, their establishment and a life.

"You have an awful number of people who can come into your establishment and question you," said Michael McClain, president of SERVE Program, a company that educates vendors and employees on alcohol beverage laws.

McClain gave tips on what key numbers on a driver's license to look for and what they mean, how to distinguish fakes and "when in doubt don't."

Years ago McClain said his son's life almost ended because of a 19-year-old drunk driver.

The bartender did not check for identification and the 19-year-old girl ended up driving southbound in a northbound lane. She ultimately met McClain's son in a head-on collision.

His son was in a coma and in intensive care for nine weeks. Since the accident his son has recovered and the girl has undergone several facial surgeries and walks with a limp, McClain said.

"The whole thing was predicated on that no one asked her for ID," he said.

For Vanessa Logsdon, executive director of Highlands Little Theatre, the session was an eye opener. She's going to pass on the training to the theatre's volunteers and make employees more aware of the consequences, especially those who work receptions at the theatre's lounge.

"I am better prepared," Logsdon said.

Establishments that serve alcohol to minors face losing their liquor license and paying hefty fines, servers face a second-degree misdemeanor, 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

"We are going to be out running stings. Nothing would make us happier than to have zero arrests," said Capt. Jeff Barfield from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

At Duffers Sports Grille in Sebring, manager Ross Vickers is aware of the problem and makes it a point that patrons entering the bar see signs that state underage drinking is not tolerated.

"We're pretty hot on that topic. We are dead set against serving people underage," Vickers said.

Highlands Today reporter Aiyana Baida can be reached at 863-386-5855 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Source:  http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/jun/04/la-preventing-underage-drinking/news/

County leads ongoing fight to keep young people dry

 By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY 

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SEBRING -- Debbie Lees is the Substance Abuse Response Guide coordinator for Highlands County. She works through the Highlands County Sheriff's Office to raise awareness about underage drinking. For over a year she has been working with adolescents, parents and the community at large.

 "We are now about to reach out to the last group with our message," she said, "the licensed alcohol vendors in our county."

She added that there are 220 alcohol licenses issued in the county.

 At the same time, the Department of Children and Families is conducting its second statewide alcohol environmental scan.

 The scan is intended to capture a snapshot of how vendors are placing and advertising their alcoholic products, and whether they post warning signs for those under 21.

 For example, said John Varady -- a volunteer from the Heartland Education Consortium who is visiting stores, restaurants and bars -- generic advertising is all right as long as it doesn't picture young people. Nor should alcoholic products or advertising be placed in areas where young people might congregate or be overly exposed. Beer, for instance, should not be displayed near beach items, toys or candy. Apparel advertising beer brands should not be in children's sizes.

 More than that, stores should have ample signs announcing clerks ask for identification, and follow through by really checking.

Varady said, "Everyone has been receptive to the scan. It's been very positive. (Because of fines) it makes economic sense to comply, but a lot of vendors are serious about protecting our youth."

One hidden problem comes in the form of some high energy drinks. Too few people know that certain brands carry high levels of alcohol.

Jackhammer has 5.9 percent alcohol per volume; Sparks and Rock Star 21 have 6 percent; Sparks Plus and Rize Up have 7 percent; and Tilt comes in at 8 percent.

These are significant amounts, Varady said, made worse by high levels of caffeine.

 These beverages have to be kept in the beer coolers, not mixed in with soft drinks.

 At restaurants and bars, Varady said, volunteers will be looking for inappropriate alcohol-oriented games that encourage binge drinking. He added that kind of activity is more commonly found in college towns, and isn't a problem here.

 Lees will conduct a training session for vendors on Wednesday, June 2 to help them better protect young people from the consequences of underage drinking.

 Varady said it is important for the general public to understand that "while acknowledging the problem, most Highlands County youth choose not to use tobacco, alcohol or drugs. Most kids choose not to."

 Lees can be reached at 402-7312.

http://www.newssun.com/localnews/0502-davis-wyman

Special to the News-Sun

SEBRING -- Most Highlands County youth choose to do the right things. However, recent data shows us that there are a few areas where their choices can have a potential impact on their futures which in turn impacts the community.

Highlands County ranks ninth out of Florida's 67 counties for births to mothers under 18 years of age. According to the Florida Department of Health, there were 62 births to Highlands County teens under age 18 in 2008, the latest data available. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy estimates that these 62 births will cost the local community nearly $1.3 million. The costs include public assistance benefits for the child from ages 0 to 18. There are many underlying factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy.

One such factor that the Highlands County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Alliance is currently working to address through community programs is encouraging parents to have open and consistent dialogue with their children about risky behaviors such as sex, alcohol and drug use.

Through a $2,500 Heartland for Children Grant $500 from Drug Free Highlands, the Heartland Rural Health Network, TPPA and DFH were able to host Keith Davis, former football player and professional and motivational speaker, who spoke to parents and teens on issues such as communication, setting goals, peer pressure, and making healthy choices for their futures.

Davis was accompanied by Devin Wyman, former New England Patriot and Super Bowl champ. The non-denominational event was held on April 15 at the First United Methodist Church Sebring. More than 180 teens and parents attended.

Both Davis and Wyman displayed how hard work and training in the NFL paid off by amazing the crowd with their physical strength while tying their actions back to positive messages for the crowd. At one point during the show, Wyman placed a steel bar across the shoulders of two participants and explained that they needed to hold on tightly to the bar. He proceeded to lift the steel bar with one person positioned at each end over his head and spun them around in the air.

Davis wowed the crowd with his ability to bend a steel bar with his teeth and bent it into a "U" shape. The message was simple -- no matter how far you are going down a wrong path you can always make a U-turn to turn it around.

Both Davis and Wyman connected with the audience by sharing their own personal stories including their struggles and successes while growing up and encouraged girls to respect themselves and their body while boys learned to respect women and treat them like queens. Parents were encouraged to keep communication lines open with their children and keep involved in their lives.

When asked what they thought about the program, a teen girl stated, "I have learned that it is possible to have a very hard life and still accomplish my goals for my own future."

Parents praised the duo's messages. A few days after the event, one parent said, "As a parent it has provided dialogue with my son that continues today. The presentation allows us to talk about set-backs not being failures, merely opportunities to improve.

"I was impressed that both stayed well into the evening until every kid got to talk to them individually. This made the kids feel special. I have also heard from other parents that their daughters still talk about the experience."

especially the girl-boy relationship issues."

Many parents and teens waited after the presentation while Davis and Wyman spent time talking to them and autographing memorabilia. Many waited after the presentation while Davis and Wyman spent time talking to the youth and autographing memorabilia.