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Indiana: Big Red Liquors plans to push awareness of 'lifeline' law

August 28, 2013

 

Big Red Liquors in Bloomington today will start publicizing a state law in its stores that encourages minors to seek medical attention for those suffering from alcohol-related complications.

 

The step comes almost a week after an Indiana University freshman, Rachael FiegeCQ of Zionsville, died after she fell falling down a flight of stairs and suffered a head injury at an off-campus party on Friday.

 

The liquor store chain will display informational posters and place fliers explaining Indiana's Lifeline Law in customers' bags at all of its 13 stores in Bloomington.

 

In Fiege's case, students at the party at a Bloomington house waited six hours before calling an ambulance at 7:30 a.m. But authorities indicated it appears no one realized how badly the 19-year-old student was hurt.

 

It's not known whether Fiege had been drinking, or even if calling for help earlier would have made a difference. Her parents, Rick and Angi Fiege, called her death an accident and did not blame anyone for not calling authorities.

 

State Sen. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis), who sponsored the 2012 law, said Wednesday he and Big Red Liquors want to take this opportunity to encourage young people to call for help in alcohol-related emergencies.

 

"I'm confident this new push will have a positive impact and increase awareness of the Lifeline Law on campus," Merritt said in a release.

 

Under the law, minors who are under the influence of alcohol cannot be prosecuted for crimes, such as minor possession or consumption, if they request medical attention for another person suffering from alcohol-related complications and cooperate with police. The law doesn't provide legal protection to the person in need of medical attention.

 

"Big Red Liquors will never knowingly do business with anyone under the age of 21, and we go extraordinary lengths to ensure that we don't," company President Don Rix, said in the release.

He said, though, that too often alcohol can end up in the hands of minors.

 

"Our position is clear: We won't do business with you unless you're 21, but if you have a chance to seek medical assistance that could avert an emergency, even if you are under 21 and have been drinking, make the call and save a life," Rix said.

 

"We are committed to bringing more awareness to Indiana's Lifeline Law in the hope that we can avoid any tragedy involving youth and alcohol," he said.

 

Link: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013308280085

 

Source: Indianapolis Star

Indiana: Alcohol permit pulled from gas station

August 23, 2013

Shoppers hoping to purchase beer or wine at Coliseum Petroleum will have to shop elsewhere.

 

Store owners at the BP gas station, 909 Coliseum Blvd. E., were notified that the store's alcohol permit had been revoked after excise police cited the store for the sale of synthetic marijuana look-alike substances.

 

The Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission revoked the store's alcohol permit Wednesday.

The products were concealed in plastic eggs packaged and being sold as "Rotten Egg Car Fresheners," according to a release from the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission.

 

The Rotten Egg fresheners were being sold for $5 each, police said.

 

The store's manager, Aman Dasson, declined to comment, but said he had spoken to his attorney, who would be looking into the situation.

 

In May, Gov. Mike Pence signed legislation tightening the state's ban on synthetic drugs and synthetic drug look-alike substances.

 

Indiana State Excise Police officers began their investigation earlier this year after receiving an anonymous tip that the store was selling the substances.

 

Officers cited the store on May 24 for public nuisance and failing to maintain a "high and fine" reputation, the release said.

 

Dasson, 28, was also cited for dealing in a synthetic drug or a synthetic look-alike substance.

 

In July, he pleaded guilty to dealing in a synthetic marijuana look-alike substance, a Class A infraction, and paid a fine Monday.

 

A clerk told officers on May 24 that she had already sold 25 of the eggs that day.

 

Anyone with information about stores selling synthetic drugs or look-alike substances is asked to call the State Excise Police at 260-244-4285.

 

Link: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130823/LOCAL07/308239979/1002/LOCAL 

 

Source: Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Indiana: 2 minors rewarded for helping fellow drinker

August 26, 2013

SOUTH BEND -- A loud noise complaint at a South Bend townhome community led to more than two dozen underage drinking citations early Sunday.

 

Two people, however, avoided citations by helping a friend who was severely intoxicated get medical assistance, according to the Indiana State Excise Police.

 

St. Joseph County police were called to Irish Crossings Townhomes around 1 a.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, deputies found several people jumping off a balcony and running.

 

According to a release from the excise police, as excise officers were citing an 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old woman for illegal consumption, among other charges, two minors walked outside carrying a severely intoxicated 22-year-old woman.

 

Police said the two minors admitted to being underage and drinking but wanted to get medical assistance for the woman. The woman was taken to Memorial Hospital of South Bend for treatment.

 

The two minors who brought the severely intoxicated woman to the officers' attention were not cited and were released at the scene.

 

According to the excise police, Indiana's new "lifeline law" provides immunity for certain alcohol-related offenses for someone who calls for medical assistance for someone else and then remains at the scene and cooperates with authorities.

 

A total of 31 people were cited for illegal consumption of alcoholic beverages. Excise police said none of those individuals played any role in seeking medical attention for the severely intoxicated woman.

 

Link: http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/crime/article_3ec10c5c-0ea9-11e3-9cfd-001a4bcf6878.html 

 

Source: South Bend Tribune 

Indiana: Police finding more fake ID's, higher alcohol concentration levels

August 23, 2013

 

The first two minors arrested for illegal possession of alcohol in Bloomington Thursday had bad phony ID's, police said.

"They were extremely poor quality and they were from other countries," said Cpl. Travis Thickstun, a state excise officer.

 

In one night, excise police nabbed 63 people on alcohol charges, almost two dozen more than in a similar patrol recently at Ball State. Officers said about 1 in 5 had false ID's.

 

"They are very common," says Excise Officer Brandon Thomas. Common, and uncommonly real-looking, so if a bar or store clerk isn't thorough, they'll end up selling alcohol to a minor."

 

There are do-it-yourself web sites for making phony ID's. "Most of the ID's in fact are coming from China," Thomas said. They're ordered over the internet from China-based companies, usually shipped to them in a novelty item, like a teddy bear or a stuffed animal."

 

The cards are stuffed with security features like hidden photos and holograms, but they often fall short, with information missing, holograms the wrong size or color or made-up state seals.

 

Trained eyes can spot those and that leads to arrests.

 

Police and retailers are working together to water down the effect of the false ID's. They look for patterns.

 

"They start seeing a rash of Rhode Island ID's at Ball State University or California ID's or Wisconsin ID's," Thomas said.

 

When bars and stores report those red flags, the fake ID investment made by the student goes down the drain, along with the alcohol intercepted by excise police.

 

"The ID's, from my experience, are associated with the higher blood alcohol levels," Thomas said.

 

Police say the large amounts of beer and other alcohol taken from one or two people with bad ID show they're supplying the alcohol to lots of other underage drinkers.

 

Officers say a real concern is that false ID use seems to be linked to higher levels of alcohol use.

 

"When we're taking them off people at the bars, it's not a level of alcohol like .08. We're seeing .25 and .27," Thomas told us.

 

Link: http://www.wthr.com/story/23243843/2013/08/23/police 

 

Source: WTHR

Parents Make a Huge Difference on Underage Drinking 

August 22, 2013

 

Parents and their children may not always see eye-to-eye, but there's one surprising issue they do agree on: Parents have the most influence on a child's decision to drink or not to drink alcohol.

According to research conducted by The Century Council in March of 2013, 83% of 10-18 year-olds polled listed parents as having the greatest influence on kids' decisions to drink or not to drink, compared to 89% of parents of children aged 10-18.

Parents, there's no wrong time to talk about alcohol with your child, and no better time than now.

Link: http://e2.ma/message/q5kgf/my47ec 

 

Source: The Century Council 

New York: New York alcohol regulators ban New Jersey wine retailer from selling in state

August 27, 2013

 

New York is reportedly cracking down on a major New Jersey alcohol retailer illegally selling wine to Empire State residents.

The New York State Liquor Authority (NYSLA) this month issued a cease-and-desist letter the Wine Library, one of New Jersey's largest alcohol retailers-- ordering it to stop sending wine to New York customers, according to Wine Spectator. Gary Vaynerchuk, the owner of the Wine Library, created an entrepreneurial empire with his national wine outlet and creation of his popular webcast series, Wine Library TV.

 

Current New York state laws prevent residents from ordering any imported wines online and prohibit the direct shipment of wine from out-of-state wine stores, auction houses or wine clubs.

 

Even though retailers ran the risk of getting caught breaking the law, New York's alcohol regulators traditionally looked the other way.

 

Some are pleased that the NYSLA is now cracking down on the Wine Library.

 

"I applaud the chairman of the SLA for grabbing the biggest retailer in the state of New Jersey and telling them they shouldn't be breaking the law," Michael Correra, executive director of the Metropolitan Package Store Association, an organization that represents New York retail beverage industry, told the magazine.

 

To read more, click this link: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/08/27/new-york-alcohol-regulators-ban-new-jersey-wine-retailer-from-selling-in-state/ 

 

Source: Fox News

Alcohol sales face restrictions on posts

August 26, 2013

 

Commanders at four major Army garrisons are restricting sales of liquor at post exchange stores or are considering it - Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; and Army Garrison-Hawaii - according to Army officials.

For nearly one-third of soldiers and their dependents, this means booze would not be as widely available at post exchanges operated by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.

 

Current and former soldiers, and their dependents, have criticized the idea of liquor sale restrictions, saying the move will not discourage drinking but encourage drinking off-post, as well as drunken driving.

 

"I did [five] years active duty as [a military policeman, and] I don't ever remember even hearing of, much less encountering a case where someone got wasted on post and got a DUI on post," Michael Swiger, of Hammond, Ind., said in a Facebook post. "[Drunken drivers] are always coming back from off post."

 

As of Sept. 1 at Fort Bliss, eight post exchanges will no longer sell hard liquor, and liquor will only be sold between noon and 10 p.m., according to one official on the post. The affected stores, which were selected because they sell gasoline, cater not only to active-duty service members but retirees and military dependents.

 

"It's a two-pronged approach: Limit the hours and limit sales at stores that also sell gasoline," the Fort Bliss official said. The official asked that his name be withheld because he was not authorized to speak on the matter.

 

"The number of people employed will decline and the amount of the dividend that goes to the morale, welfare and recreation fund will diminish," he said. "There are second- and third-order effects."

 

None of the restrictions pertains to beer and wine, the Fort Bliss official said.

 

A Fort Bliss spokesman declined to discuss the move and said Maj. Gen. Sean MacFarland, the commander of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss senior mission commander, was "still looking at tailoring hours and locations where hard alcohol is available."

 

MacFarland took command of the post in May.

 

Restrictions in Hawaii were meant to spur responsible drinking, and send the message that "excessive drinking is not OK," said Stefanie Gardin, external communication chief for Army Garrison-Hawaii. The garrison runs installations for 90,000 soldiers, civilians and family members stationed on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii.

 

As of July, post exchanges on Army installations in Hawaii no longer sell alcohol between midnight and 6 a.m.

 

"Buying alcohol at 3 or 4 a.m. is not likely responsible drinking behavior," Gardin wrote in an email to Army Times. "Excessive drinking can contribute or lead to high-risk behaviors and serious incidents, such as sexual assaults and domestic violence, which are unacceptable."

 

To read more, click this link: http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20130826/BENEFITS07/308260004/Alcohol-sales-face-restrictions-posts 

 

Source: Military Times 

The persistence of adolescent binge drinking into adulthood: findings from a 15-year prospective cohort study (Excerpt)

August 19, 2013

 

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of binge drinking in adolescence and its persistence into adulthood in an Australian cohort.

 

Design: 15-year prospective cohort study.

 

Setting: Victoria, Australia.

 

Participants: 1943 adolescents were recruited from secondary schools at age 14-15 years.

 

Primary outcome measures: Levels of past-week 'binge' drinking (5+ standard drinks on a day, each 10 g alcohol) and 'heavy binge' drinking (20+ standard drinks on a day for males, 11+ for females) were assessed during six adolescent waves, and across three adult waves up to age 29 years.

 

Results: Half of the males (52%) and a third of the females (34%) reported past-week adolescent binge drinking. 90% of male and 70% of female adolescent-onset binge drinkers continued to binge in young adulthood; 70% of males and 48% of females who were not adolescent-onset binge drinkers reported young adult binge drinking. Past-week heavy bingeing was less common in adolescence than adulthood. Overall, 35% of the sample (95% CI 33% to 38%) reported past-week binge drinking in adolescence and young adulthood and one-third (33%; 30% to 35%) first reported binge drinking in young adulthood; only 7% of the sample (6-8%) had binge drinking in adolescence but not young adulthood. 'Heavy binge' drinking occurred in adolescence and young adulthood for 9% (8% to 10%); 8% (7% to 10%) reported it in adolescence but no longer in young adulthood; and 24% (22% to 26%) began 'heavy binge' drinking in young adulthood. Among adolescent binge drinkers (n=821), young adult binge and heavy binge drinking were predicted by being male, adolescent antisocial behaviour and adverse consequences of drinking in adolescence.

 

Conclusions: Binge alcohol use is common and persistent among young Australians. Efforts to prevent the onset of binge drinking during adolescence may substantially reduce harmful patterns of alcohol use in young adulthood.

 

To read more, click this link: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/3/8/e003015.full.pdf+html?sid=c115e631-cdb5-4ab8-a8bc-538166a77419 

 

Source: BMJ Open

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