Agents Want Bars, Party Hosts to Stop Encouraging Excessive Drinking

Columbus – With Ohio’s college football season underway and the professional season kicking off Sunday, it is a great time to remind servers and party hosts not to serve to anyone who has consumed too much alcohol.

Excessive drinking during football games, whether at the game, near the stadium, at a bar, or a party, is a common occurrence. Agents with the Ohio Investigative Unit remind party hosts and bartenders not to encourage excessive drinking and do not furnish alcohol to anyone under age 21. In Ohio, it is illegal to furnish or even sell alcohol to someone who has had too much to drink or is not 21 years or older. In fact, it is also illegal for a liquor permit to encourage and also advertise excessive drinking. To help drive this point home, businesses that sell liquor, no matter where they are based, may want to have their employees take a ‘Responsible Service of Alcohol’ course, with there being rsa melbourne cheap courses available. This is not limited to one area, and other courses related to this can be taken in a variety of states/countries for businesses to access when needed.

“We know the game-day revelry is part of the experience, however, we’re asking people to stop serving alcohol to anyone who is intoxicated or underage,” said Agent-in-Charge Eric Wolf. “We want the fan experience to be safe.”

On game days, agents in many areas of the state will be assisting various law enforcement agencies to look for alcohol violations. Agents will also visit bars, restaurants, and carry-outs to make Ohio’s liquor laws are being followed.

Individuals who violate Ohio’s alcohol laws can be criminally charged. Administrative violations will be filed against liquor permit premises found in violation. The administrative charges will be presented to the Ohio Liquor Control Commission once all criminal proceedings are completed. The commission has the authority to issue penalties such as fines, suspensions, or revocation of the liquor permit.

If you have information about a liquor permit premise encouraging excessive consumption, or selling alcohol to underage or intoxicated patrons, please notify OIU by calling #677 on your cell phone and your complaint will be investigated.