June 27, 2018; Silver City, NM – Grant County alcohol retailers are doing their part to prevent alcohol sales to youth according to a recent survey of 13-sites conducted Grant County Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (YSAPC). The survey found that advertising, inside and outside, these establishments does not target youth.
“We are very pleased that our local alcohol retailers are doing their part to protect the health and safety of Grant County youth,” said A.J. Sandoval, coordinator for the YSAPC, a program of the Southwest Center for Health Innovation.
YSAPC’s site survey assessed alcohol advertising, placement and pricing of off-premise alcohol outlets, locations where alcohol may be purchased but not consumed on-site. The survey found that though a few locations used much more advertising than others, none used images that research shows is more likely to appeal to children and youth.
Sandoval added, “Responsible retailers help make Grant County a safer place for everyone, so be sure to thank them for checking your identification when you purchase alcohol. Underage drinking is correlated to car crashes and other injuries, as well as fights and other violence, unprotected sex, and problems in school. We want to thank our retails and ask for their continued support in preventing underage drinking.”
The Coalition’s site survey included all local grocery stores, Snappy Marts, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, CVS and the Hurley Bar. In addition to assessing alcohol advertising, the coalition also looked at signage which notifies consumers that the establishment always checks identifications to assure a customer’s age when purchasing alcohol, known as universal carding.
Jim Nennich, president of W&N Enterprises and owner of the local Food Basket grocery stores and Snappy Marts, noted the importance of universal carding, which means that anyone who purchases alcohol at a W&N-owned establishment will be asked to show their identification, regardless of their age. Nennich said that W&N began universal carding 15 years ago, and other alcohol vendors have followed their lead.
“Universal carding takes the guess work out of deciding whether a customer is underage or not,” Nennich said. “We believe that universal carding is the best way to not only prevent sales to underage persons, but it can also prevent sales to an intoxicated person, because the sales clerk has an opportunity to detect slurred speech and observe the customer’s motor skills while getting their ID out of the wallet or purse. We thank our customers for understanding that we are doing our part to help prevent alcohol related problems in our community.”
The YSAPC next meeting is on Friday, July 13, 2018, at noon to 1 p.m. at the Hidalgo Medical Services Silver City Community Health Center’s Community Room, located at 1107 N. Pope Street. Lunch will be served. The public is invited to attend and learn more about YSAPC efforts.
The YSAPC is funded by the New Mexico Office of Substance Abuse Prevention.
For more information about the YSAPC, please contact Sandoval, SWCHI program specialist, at 575 597-0025 or email: ajsandoval@swchi.org.