ABC Encourages Teen Sobriety and Heightened Awareness of Combatting Youth Access to Alcohol this Prom Season

Sacramento – This prom season, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is asking teens, parents, licensees and the general public to help combat teen drunk driving and do their part to prevent youth access to alcohol.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, and almost one-third of those crashes involved alcohol.

According to a 2022 survey by AAA on prom safety:

• 30% of high school teens report it’s likely they or their friends will be under the influence of drugs or alcohol sometime during prom or graduation season.
• 82% of teens believe their peers are likely to drive impaired instead of calling a parent or guardian for help because they are afraid of getting in trouble.
• 21% of teens have ridden in a car with an impaired driver.

Impaired driving poses a grave danger to everyone—and is especially deadly for young, inexperienced drivers. ABC asks parents and guardians to make plans to get their teens home safe from prom celebrations and talk to their teens about the dangers of impaired driving.

Licensees can also play a pivotal role in preventing youth access to alcohol by always carefully checking IDs, denying service if they suspect or know an ID is fake, and staying vigilant of teenagers attempting to shoulder tap near their places of business.

Additionally, adults should always say no to youth who solicit them to buy alcohol. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine, 24 hours of community service and possible jail time.

Contact

Additional information may be obtained by contacting:

Public Information Office
3927 Lennane Drive, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95834
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (916) 419-2525

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