Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Local businesses excelled in alcohol compliance checks.

This past summer, the Livingston County Community Alliance (LCCA) partnered with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office to conduct 125 alcohol compliance checks.

LCCA partners with community agencies to reduce and prevent youth substance use which includes underage drinking, nicotine use, marijuana use, and prescription/non–prescription medications.

Alcohol compliance checks are said to be an evidence–based strategy to reduce the number of sales to minors.

Local businesses were provided with a packet of resources to help spot fake IDs and raise awareness of the changes in Michigan driver's licenses.

119 retailers who were visited by underage purchasers checked for identification and refused service. Livingston County continues to average a 95% compliance rate among retailers.

Sarah McGeorge is Director of Substance Use Prevention with Livingston County Catholic Charities. She told WHMI it’s great to see retailers in the county continue to not sell to underage persons and that they are taking preventative measures to educate themselves on what to look for when it comes to perhaps a fake ID or asking the right questions and not selling to someone who might be under the age of 21.

McGeorge said they focus on educating businesses prior to the checks. She said they conduct the checks at restaurants, golf clubs, and basically any retailer that sells alcohol because they want to make sure that anyone who has a liquor license is taking action and steps to not sell to minors. Further, McGeorge stressed they want to educate the community and provide resources to retailers but also want youth to thrive with healthy lives.

Businesses that sold to a minor were said to have taken immediate action to improve communication and training among their staff. The LCCA said it’s proud of the action that all local businesses are taking to partner with prevention efforts and improve best practices.

With the dedication of local businesses refusing to sell alcohol to underage people, the Alliance said the Livingston County community can avoid the problems that come with underage drinking.

McGeorge encouraged community members to get involved and be a part of local prevention efforts. General coalition meetings occur on the 2nd Tuesday of every month.

Those interested can email McGeorge at sarahm@livingstoncc.org or
Megan Crainer at Livingston.community.alliance@gmail.com. More information is also available in the provided link.

The Alliance congratulated and recognized all of the businesses that did not sell to minors in 2024. A complete list is available in the attached press release.

AP photo.