With graduations
coming up, police say area retailers are making the grade when
it comes to refusing alcohol to minors.
Ninety-five percent of high
school seniors surveyed say it's easy or very easy to get
alcohol.
But in Saratoga County, it's
getting a little harder. The Prevention Council, an alcohol
and substance abuse group, says area businesses are doing a
better job these days of refusing alcohol to minors.
Haley Morris' family
convenience store was one of 35 area businesses to turn down a
minor trying to buy alcohol as part of a police sting.
"Not getting stung is more
important than just one beer sale," Morris said.
The larger stores like
Hannaford have a bit of an advantage over smaller stores. They
have more employees, meaning more sets of eyes to look at
customers and their licenses. In fact, that's what Hannaford
demands of its employees. Two people have to look at every
customer who buys beer.
"We want to make it as
difficult as humanly possible for somebody underage to not be
able to get through with alcohol," Rick Stauffer of Hannaford
said.
The Saratoga and South Glens
Falls Hannafords were among the 35 stores who turned away the
minor and were honored Tuesday as "unstung heroes."
"We always talk about those
that get caught, but I think it's more important to praise
those businesses and agencies that do the right thing,"
Saratoga County District Attorney Jim Murphy said.
