One of the most effective ways to reduce teen drinking in Colorado is to limit the ways teens can get a hold of alcohol. The 2011 Healthy Kids Colorado survey found roughly 60% of Colorado high school students report it would be easy for them to get alcohol if they wanted it. Here are some of the places where teens are most likely to get alcohol.
Home – Liquor cabinets /home bars often provide easy access to alcoholic beverages. It’s important for parents to properly store and monitor alcohol at home.
Friends’ Homes – Know your teen’s friends, and if possible, the parents of those friends. It’s important to let other parents know your rules.
Older Siblings – This also may include relatives who are of legal drinking age. They may either purchase alcohol for teens, or even provide them with an old driver’s license to allow teens to buy alcohol themselves.
Fake IDs – Alcohol retailers are increasingly using technology that requires identification cards to be scanned and verified, but fake IDs are still being used. Make sure you and your teen understand the legal consequences of being caught with a Fake ID.
Family Gatherings – Birthdays, graduations, or other special celebrations that may include alcohol.
Selling to Minors
The Colorado Department of Revenue, Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement Division regularly conducts compliance checks at businesses with liquor licenses throughout Colorado. This process verifies liquor stores, bars, and restaurants are in compliance with Colorado law by properly checking customers are at least 21 years old before selling them alcohol. In the past two years, the Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement Division has issued 516 citations to Colorado businesses for selling or serving to a minor.
Colorado’s Liquor Enforcement Division recently launched a website allowing you to see the results of compliance checks conducted at businesses in your community. This site also allows you to see Minor in Possession citations issued by the Division, and in the future, by law enforcement agencies throughout Colorado.
To view this information, or learn how you can make an anonymous report if you think a business is providing alcohol to kids, click the button below.
Underage Drinking Enforcement Website
You can also make an anonymous report by calling: 1-877-662-4643
Please note calling the number above will lead you to a message system where you may leave information about a suspected violation. These messages are checked regularly and investigated. If you need to report a problem requiring an immediate response, contact law enforcement in your area.