No 18 to 20-year-olds allowed in bars? Baton Rouge considers crackdown on underage drinking.

No 18 to 20-year-olds allowed in bars? Baton Rouge considers crackdown on underage drinking.
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Sophisticated fake IDs and the practice of removing or swapping wristbands and stamps make it difficult for law enforcement and bar staff to regulate people under the drinking age inside a bar, Alochol Beverage Control Director Chris Cranford told the council.

“If you’re going to allow an 18-year-old into a bar, unfortunately, most of them are going to try to drink,” Cranford said. “The law says they can’t, so I don’t see the positive side of allowing them to be in there.”

Cranford addressed the council at the request of Councilwoman Laurie Adams following Brooks’ death as an attempt to gather more information about action the council can take, Adams said.

More harm than good?

While the ABC chief supports a ban on 18, 19, and 20-year-olds entering bars, no Metro Council member reached by The Advocate voiced support for the idea. Instead, they back better education for young adults and stronger safeguards to block underage drinking at bars.

“Oftentimes, underage drinking starts in the communities where people live,” Council Pro Tem LaMont Cole, a former middle school principal. “It’s a cultural thing, and in southeast Louisiana we celebrate drinking. I think the outreach needs to be different to show young people how to be responsible in terms of drinking.”

Council members said raising the limit could create unintended consequences by shifting young adults to unsupervised house parties and stopping designated drivers from going out with their older friends.

“I think it’s a band-aid,” Councilwoman Jennifer Racca said. “I don’t think it’s an actual solution. I think it’s a knee-jerk reaction and creates a mound of other problems. The operators of these facilities need to be held to the highest standards and those standards need to be enforced.”

For its part, the ABC board approved a harsher fee schedule for liquor license violations last Thursday, increasing the minimum recommended fee for everything from minor offenses to major ones like allowing underage drinking. The board does not have to follow the fee schedule, but it does set expectations and serves as a deterrence for bad actors, board members said.

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About Mary Weyand 15921 Articles
Mary founded Scoop Tour with an aim to bring relevant and unaltered news to the general public with a specific view point for each story catered by the team. She is a proficient journalist who holds a reputable portfolio with proficiency in content analysis and research. With ample knowledge about the Automobile industry, she also contributes her knowledge for the Automobile section of the website.

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