Annual TABC spring break compliance operations find 127 violations
AUSTIN — A series of covert inspections by agents from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission found that 93% of businesses operated in full compliance with the law during the busy spring break season.
In all, TABC agents conducted 1,726 underage compliance operations during the agency’s annual spring break enforcement roundup, finding 127 instances of businesses selling alcohol to people under 21. This year’s results mark an improvement from last year’s operation, which found a compliance rate of 91%. The annual operation attempts to identify businesses selling alcohol to minors at popular spring break vacation spots such as South Padre Island as well as festival locations in Austin and Houston.
This year’s results show that most businesses are continuing to take their role in promoting safe and responsible alcohol service seriously, TABC Executive Director Thomas Graham said.
“Texas’s alcohol retailers are our most important partners when it comes to protecting communities from the dangers of underage alcohol consumption,” Graham said. “It comes as no surprise that most of the businesses we visited continued to do the right thing by training staff and putting policies in place to prevent unnecessary risks related to illegal alcohol sales.”
This year’s spring break operation included covert inspections, high-visibility inspections at popular vacation destinations, and partnerships with businesses to help identify customers using fake IDs to purchase alcohol, Graham added.
“Spring break is obviously one of the busiest times for retailers across the state, which is why it’s important that retailers continue to do their part to keep their communities safe,” he said. “We’re all extremely grateful to our industry partners for helping us ensure Texans can enjoy the season safely and responsibly.”
Businesses found selling alcohol to minors could face administrative penalties such as a fine or temporary suspension of their liquor license. Employees found selling alcohol to minors could also face a misdemeanor criminal charge resulting in a fine or up to one year in jail.
For more information about TABC, visit tabc.texas.gov.
Media contact:
Chris Porter
TABC Public Information Officer
(512) 206-3462