Environmental Strategies for Prevention
A Guide To Helping the Prevention Professional Work Effectively in the Community

Module 2: Types of Environmental Approaches - Page 16 of 26

Education Using Training

Bartender and server training is another environmental educational strategy used to improve the conditions surrounding the use of alcohol in restaurants and bars.

Many States and local communities now mandate or recommend training for alcohol servers or sellers on responsible practices such as checking identification, offering nonalcoholic beverages and food, and slowing service of alcohol. However, not all laws have the same amount of bite. Some states have made server training a mandatory condition of licensure. Other states may provide incentives for retailers to participate. These incentives may include:

People who work in the field of prevention note that enforcement is a stronger incentive for owners or managers to adopt a responsible beverage service policy and support their serving staff than is protection from dram shop liability. (Bar owners are more likely to be concerned over losing their license than paying a fine). Therefore, implementing server training programs by itself is not likely to change patterns of alcohol abuse unless server practices have the support of managers and owners and penalties are strong and enforced.

In addition to State laws, some colleges and universities have initiated their own responsible beverage service initiatives. One of the first to do so was Stanford University. Stanford recruits students to teach their classmates how to have more successful parties, both with and without alcohol. ref

<< Previous Page Next Page >>