Checking IDs: An Important Practice for Alcohol Retailers

Did you have your ID checked the last time you bought beer or a bottle of wine? It may seem like an inconvenience, but it serves a very important purpose in preventing alcohol sales to minors.

The Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD) conducts compliance checks on a monthly basis to ensure that alcohol retailers follow the laws when it comes to selling alcohol in the community. It is important to verify that managers and employees check the IDs of every customer in their place of business, so they can be sure that the customer is not under the age of 21. To accomplish this, the GCPD trains underage decoys to go into restaurants, drug stores, gas station convenience stores and grocery stores to attempt to buy alcohol. If they are sold or served alcohol, police officers then go in and give citations to the employee for not properly checking the customer’s ID and for selling alcohol to a minor.

Many people do not realize that it takes the human brain 23-25 years to fully mature. Therefore, when youth under the age of 21 consume alcohol, it damages their brain. It is important to minimize retail availability of alcohol for those underage in order to give our youth the best opportunity to be successful in school and life. Minimizing retail availability also decreases the likelihood of teenagers drinking and driving, thus creating a healthier and safer community.

We would like to thank the following alcohol retailers for checking IDs and NOT selling alcohol to the underage decoys during January, February and March 2015:

Shell Food Mart, 1495 Duluth Hwy, Lawrenceville

Walgreens #07960, 1065 Duluth Hwy, Lawrenceville

BP Food Mart, 2121 Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd, Lawrenceville

Exxon Food Mart, 2094 Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd, Lawrenceville

Kroger #477, 2121 Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd, Lawrenceville

Rain Forest Chevron, 2520 Old Norcross Rd, Lawrenceville

Walgreens # 06638, 2500 Old Norcross Rd, Lawrenceville

Kroger #477, 950 Herrington, Lawrenceville

CVS Pharmacy #2570, 2650 Cruse Rd, Lawrenceville

Citgo Food Mart/Sunoco, 2490 Cruse Rd, Lawrenceville

Mi Bella Columbia, 2785 Cruse Rd, Lawrenceville

Moe’s Groceries, 2830 Club Drive, Lawrenceville

Chevron Food Mart, 1215 Scenic Hwy, Lawrenceville

Aldi, 1225 Scenic Hwy, Lawrenceville

GUIDE, Inc. is a substance abuse prevention agency serving Gwinnett County since 1986. To find out more about us, please connect with us at guideinc.org.