Wellness Resource Center, Columbia police fight teen drinking

The center will hold a meeting on the topic in the spring.

By Krissy Tripp

Published Jan. 30, 2009

The Columbia Police Department regularly sends 18- and 19-year-olds into establishments with liquor licenses with their real identification to see if they will be served alcohol without pretending to be of legal drinking age. Fifty-one percent of Columbia's establishments have failed this compliance check.

Community Services Unit Police Officer Tim Thomason said CPD tracks its service calls to create statistics, note trends and prevent as many of them as possible. Among these trends is an increase in service calls from bars when they allow customers under 21 into their establishment. Thomason said there is a tendency to see more underage drinking, overcrowding issues and more assaults when minors are allowed in.

In an attempt to prevent service calls, CPD also posted tips on its Web site called "How to Deter Problems at Your Bar." To make the list, CPD used trends from their alcohol-related service calls. Tips include attending the MU bar owners meeting, which is held by the Wellness Resource Center, and requiring servers to watch the SMART training video.

SMART/Cheers Coordinator Jessica Schlosser explained SMART is a free online server training program that's been around for about four years. After watching the video servers should be more knowledgeable about false identification and acceptable forms of identification. The content, written by the Missouri Department of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, also gives information about the liabilities and laws of serving or handling a customer who is too intoxicated to be served alcohol.

The annual meeting, which happens in the spring, discusses anything related to the liquor industry. The Wellness Resource Center, Greek Life, CPD, STRIPES or anyone else who has an interest in the topic of alcohol in Columbia can attend. Twenty establishments attended the 2008 Bar Owner Meeting.

"Most of the attendees are from establishments that a lot of students frequent," Schlosser said. "They represent many of the significant establishments in terms of where our students are going, but are only a small percentage of liquor licensees in the community."

She also noted two bar owners who she describes as supportive of the Wellness Resource Center's efforts. Richard King who owns The Blue Note and Mojo's and Lance Morrow, owner of Forge & Vine, Fieldhouse and Willies.

Brian Ash, who owns Bambino's, said he also tries to go or send a head server to the annual meetings.

"I think any training is important and helpful," Ash said. "It's certainly worth while."

Ash said he has not been as good about is as he should be. He said it is hard to get students to watch the video, but that it is something he should be doing.

Ash also said he has experienced trouble with underage drinking in Bambino's. While he said it isn't a huge problem at his establishment, it does put servers in an awkward place to card someone when they're working on tips.