Arkansas Blog

Note that there was no proposal to hold minors accountable for their own actions by making the ATTEMPTED PURCHASE of age restricted products unlawful. If such a regulation were enacted, imposing a hefty fine on the minor with a portion of the fine revenue going to the clerk, bartender, store owners or waiter who asked for a valid ID, prevented the sale and initiated prosecution , much of the problem would disappear. Think convenience store clerks might be more careful about asking for ID if they might make an extra $50 for busting one of the teen darlings?

Note that there was no proposal to hold minors accountable for their own actions by making the ATTEMPTED PURCHASE of age restricted products unlawful. If such a regulation were enacted, imposing a hefty fine on the minor with a portion of the fine revenue going to the clerk, bartender, store owners or waiter who asked for a valid ID, prevented the sale and initiated prosecution , much of the problem would disappear. Think convenience store clerks might be more careful about asking for ID if they might make an extra $50 for busting one of the teen darlings?

The regulations already support alcopops being taxed and sold as distilled spirits. The alcohol that makes them alcoholic beverages is distilled...that means they should be taxed like other liquors and sold in the same places that liquor is sold. ABC is looking the other way...saying that so long as the percentage of alcohol is under 5% (another criteria for selling as beer in the convenience/grocery market at the lower tax) it is good enought for ABC. It ISN'T though... ABC is bowing to beverage interests and not the interests of the community. These sweet drinks are packaged so similarly to other specialty energy drinks and designer teas that it's hard to discern which is what. And they are the beverage of choice for teen girls. Recent Arkansas polling of 88,000 students tells us that adults are buying the alcohol and handing it over to the kids...so it's NOT just teens going in and buying or attempting to buy. This is one thing that can be done...and won't cost anyone (taxpapers) any money...to help reduce underage drinking. Enforce the current law. Sell alcopops for what they are. Beverages that contain distilled spirits...and tax them according to the law.

Mystery,

I hadn't thought of a bounty paid to sellers. That could be a good idea. But how would you hold them till cops arrive?

Also, if you didn't have an ID with you but were of age would you be held till the cops arrived and then determined wrongly arrested.

My sister in law looked like a teen till in her 40's. Now in her fifties she is still mistaken for a 20 something (until you look closely). Running a health club and being an fitness trainer has its benefits.

Reply to Citizen home: You wouldn't have to hold them, the vast majority of illegals sales to minors are made by the seller failing to ask for an ID. Under the bounty proposal the clerk would have a $50 incentive to do so. If the minor couldn't produce a valid ID the clerk/server would refuse the sale. If the minor showed a DL that showed him/her to be underage, the seller would retain it to be turned over to the local law enforcement to be used as evidence for prosecution. Upon a conviction in court or a guilty plea by the minor, fines & court costs would be paid by the minor and the $50 "Witness fee" paid to the clerk, server or store owner who filed charges, ALL AT NO COST TO THE TAXPAYERS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES. This approach has proven successful in other states but someone in Arkansas does not want it to happen here. Several years back Rep. Sandra Prater of Jacksonville introduced this into the legislature as a proposed bill, but it never even got a hearing in committee and died before being heard.

It should be treated the same as beer. Simple enough..

Interesting that this push comes just as Zima comes off the market. Click on bluename.

The last time I looked, it was a crime, punishable by a $500 fine and some time in jail, for a minor to try to buy alcohol. Was that just a Fayetteville thing?