Class teaches merchants how to check IDs for alcohol and tobacco purchases
By JOE L. HUGHES II Ledger Staff Writer joe@gaffneyledger.com

Ledger photo / JOE L. HUGHES II Chrissy Little, director of the Cherokee County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, shows a book describing ways to determine whether a customer is using a fake identification card during the Palmetto Retailers Education Program at the Cherokee County Public Library on Thursday.

Law enforcement officials are taking a tougher stand against the sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors.

The Palmetto Retailers Education Program in conjunction with the Cherokee County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (CCADAC) held a class Thursday at the Cherokee County Public Library to help educate merchants about selling alcohol and tobacco and the risks of not obeying the law.

"You check some card identifying the buyer or else you will see me," David Lawson of the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said. "At the end of the year, I would rather that we have 100 percent compliance with the laws regarding the sale of alcohol and tobacco products to minors rather than having statistics that are through the roof of people still not doing so.

"Our purpose here today though is to save lives and educate you to potentially do the same."

Instructors from the CCADAC and the SCSO provided those in attendance with lessons to help merchants keep their slate clean. Officials warned them that random checks are part of law enforcement officers' jobs and are done only to keep them and the rest of those in the public domain safe.

"We finally have money behind us to bring in officers to help," Chrissy Little, director of the Cherokee County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, said. "These funds are enabling us to get them out there to make sure merchants are abiding by the law."

Representatives from both the Gaffney Police Department (GPD) and the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office will take part in the operation.

Statistics show underage alcohol use accounts for close to 20 percent of all alcohol consumed in the country each year. Nearly 440,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco use.

To keep the number from rising, instructors gave tips to help in checking identification cards. According to Lawson, the smallest detail can cause a big problem.

"You have to use the F-L-A-G system - feel, look, ask and give back," Lawson said. "Following those steps you can virtually tell whether it is a real identification card."

The penalty for selling alcohol to an underage buyer is a fine of up to $300 and/or 30 days in jail. A second offense calls for a fine of up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail.

Little said plans are in the works to have classes each month.

"People are calling and asking about when is the next class," Little said. "At the moment, we do not know where things will be held, but we do plan for this to become a monthly thing."