The government is taking further action to protect children by ensuring people caught supplying minors with alcohol face appropriate penalties, announced Minister Rich Coleman.
Police and liquor inspectors now have the ability to issue $575-tickets to people found giving or serving liquor to anyone under the age of 19.
This covers ‘bootlegging’, where adults purchase alcohol for minors.
For the first time, it also includes servers at restaurants or bars who fail to ensure their customers are adults by checking for appropriate identification.
Licensees who operate businesses where liquor is being served are already accountable, and penalties for minors being served in their establishments range from $7,500-$10,000 or a 10-15 day suspension.
The tickets streamline penalties for serving liquor to minors.
Currently, police hand out court appearance notices for violations.
These policing and court resources can now be redirected to other priorities. People receiving tickets may still dispute them in court, but if not disputed, the tickets are valid and payable.
Other unrelated administrative changes also announced today include:
– Licensees who fail to renew their liquor licence within 30 days can now apply to have their licence reinstated, rather than applying for a new licence.
– The province will have the authority to effectively enforce agreements with liquor manufacturers who fail to submit sales records and the monies owed to the Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) for those sales.
