Keeping Minors and Communities Safe with Stinger Compliance
The main idea behind alcohol and tobacco laws is safety. Safety for the community and safety for the many young adults growing up in cities across America. The gatekeepers who are meant to limit access to these age-restricted products – parents, law enforcement, educators, and business owners – can leave a lasting negative impact on a community if alcohol, tobacco, and vapor product compliance is not a priority. All of these groups of people must work together to protect their young adults from health issues, violence and crime, and dependency on illicit substances.
According to the CDC, youths who consume alcohol regularly are personally at risk for hindered mental development, addiction, legal problems, and even death. As 11% of high schoolers identify themselves as “binge drinkers,” and 5% admitted to driving while under the influence, it’s clear that alcohol consumption by minors is a huge problem for our nation’s future generations and our communities.
Unfortunately, it’s not only alcohol that causes issues for minors. It’s also vapes, e-cigarettes, and other vapor products that include nicotine. With many fruity flavors enticing younger adults to try these products, it’s important to ensure business owners are compliant with local laws.
In this blog post, we’ll outline some of the major problems that come from underage drinking and tobacco product usage. We’ll also highlight some strategies communities can implement to safeguard their youths, including partnering with Stinger Compliance.
Problems that Arise from Alcohol Consumption by Minors
Mental Development
During the teen years, the “parts of the brain involved in self-control, emotions, and high-level thinking” are developing. When alcohol is consumed, especially in large quantities, this development becomes stunted. Minors who consume alcohol regularly are also prone to addiction, resulting in higher rates of school absences and acts of violence against their peers.
Reducing the impact on a minor’s mental development is a huge advantage of alcohol and tobacco compliance at work within a community.
Public Safety Issues
As mentioned above, 5% of American high schoolers admit to driving under the influence, and 14% admit to riding in a car with someone who has consumed alcohol. These actions can wreak havoc on a community if left unchecked. Not only are DUI’s costly to the individual both in legal fees and future personal ramifications but driving while under the influence puts their peers and community members at risk of injury or death.
Small Businesses
In communities with high levels of underage drinking, small businesses can find themselves at risk of losing their alcohol licenses or legal action against their employees if compliance is not routed in their policies. Also, business owners can find themselves, in addition to their LLC, vulnerable in cases of gross negligence.
Businesses must understand their local laws and implement practices that ensure compliance at all times. By checking IDs and spotting fake IDs, businesses can prevent minors from purchasing alcohol and keep their communities safe.
Be sure to read our blog post here for more information on keeping your business safe: 6 Ways to Protect Your Alcohol License from Suspension.
Loss of Life
In addition to the many health and mental disorders that can arise from alcohol consumption, the worst-case scenario is, of course, the loss of life that comes with extensive binge drinking by teenagers and young adults. In the United States, 10,000 people die each year as a result of alcohol-impaired driving. According to the CDC, 29% of drivers ages 15–20 who were killed in car accidents had been drinking alcohol.
These losses of life are preventable by members of the community – families, law enforcement, business owners, educators, and health officials have a part to play in preventing alcohol-related deaths in teens.
Problems that Arise from Tobacco Use by Minors
Brain Development
Like alcohol, tobacco has a negative effect on the developing brains of minors. Nicotine has been proven to harm the brain development of young adults, specifically affecting their “attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.” The CDC states that nicotine is found in 99% of the e-cigarettes that are most popular among teenagers and adolescents.
To keep our communities healthy, we must protect the development of future generations. We do this by reducing their ability to purchase tobacco and making them aware of these substances' dangers.
Health Issues
Tobacco not only impairs the development of young minds, but tobacco products cause health issues like lung disease, cardiovascular damage, and more. In 2020, it was noted by the CDC that an outbreak of lung injury due to vaping and e-cigarettes caused 2,807 hospitalizations and 68 deaths.
As minors are more likely to become addicted to chemicals like nicotine than adults, it’s especially important to note the withdrawal symptoms that one can encounter when access to nicotine is cut off abruptly. Nicotine withdrawal can cause “irritability, restlessness, feeling anxious or depressed, trouble sleeping, problems concentrating, and craving nicotine.” Tobacco products have also been researched as a cause of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
In addition to tobacco and vape products, young adults and minors are also purchasing substances like Delta8 which has psychoactive effects. We’ll dive deeper into Delta8 in future blog posts as it is a huge potential concern for communities focused on safety and compliance.
Solutions to Keeping Minors Healthy + Communities Safe
So, what is the solution? How can we keep our communities safe and improve the health of future generations?
The first line of defense against alcohol and tobacco consumption by minors is the family as knowledge about the dangers of these age-restricted products begins at home. There are then many community-based tactics that can be used to limit a teen’s access to these products.
DUI Checkpoints + Hot Spot Policing
Law enforcement agencies can set up DUI checkpoints, otherwise known as sobriety checkpoints, to check a selection of drivers for driving under the influence. In addition to DUI checkpoints, hot spot policing in areas largely populated by young adults or teenagers can limit the consumption of age-restricted products.
This also ensures that businesses in the area are maintaining alcohol compliance when serving customers and keeps the whole community safe as a result.
Awareness Campaigns + School Policies
Educators within the community can assist in keeping their youths safe by creating awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers of alcohol or tobacco use while underage. These campaigns commonly use videos and visuals to introduce the concepts around alcohol and tobacco consumption, as well as materials passed along to families for further discussion.
It was noted in a study by Emory University that fear-based and information-only campaigns have little to no effect on keeping alcohol and tobacco out of the hands of minors. In addition, zero tolerance policies in schools “discourage students from reporting dangerous behaviors in order to protect their peers from extreme punishments.”
Educators and school administrators must act wisely and strategically in partnership with the community to establish campaigns that take root in the minds of their youth.
Safety Incentive Programs
Many employers find that safety incentive programs – programs that reward employees for practicing safely – are very effective in ensuring compliance. Rewarding bartenders and clerks for checking IDs through gift cards, paid time off, or additional perks could be the incentive they need to adhere to some of the most important company policies.
Incentive programs for the workplace pair very nicely with third-party vendors who check compliance. For example, a business owner can hire a vendor to perform compliance checks regularly. If the employees are found to operate in a compliant way, they receive a reward and company-wide praise. Read on to learn how Stinger Compliance can help you set up an effective safety incentive program for your employees!
Partner with Stinger Compliance
Partnering with Stinger Compliance keeps communities safe, gathers actionable insights for business owners, and reduces community risk by adhering to local regulations for age-restricted products like alcohol and tobacco. Community members can partner with Stinger Compliance in two ways to ensure alcohol and tobacco compliance are present in local businesses.
Option #1 – Businesses can book a Sting
With companies like Stinger Compliance, businesses in the community can ensure their staff members are checking IDs and prevent these age-restricted products from landing in the hands of minors. These regularly occurring checks are a risk-free method of anonymously surveying businesses that sell alcohol or tobacco products.
Businesses can make sure their staff members are asking for proper identification and act quickly if risks are identified. Want to learn more? Reach out to the Stinger Compliance team today or create an account and book your first Sting today!
Option #2 – Community Members can become a Stinger
If you’re over the age of 21, you can apply to become a Stinger with Stinger Compliance! As a Stinger, you’ll visit locations that have booked a Sting, survey their compliance with alcohol and tobacco laws, and answer custom survey questions.
Applying to become a Stinger is super simple and only takes 5 minutes! Once we receive your application, our team will be in touch to let you know the next steps. Once you’ve been hired as a Stinger, you can begin scheduling Stings! Use the platform to select Stings in your area that fit your schedule. The best part? Get paid within 24 hours of the Sting!
Apply to become a Stinger today!
No matter your role in your community, there is a part to play in keeping your neighbors safe from issues resulting from alcohol and tobacco misuse. By partnering together, we can truly make a difference today and for future generations.
