Snellville reports 100% Alcohol Compliance Rate

As part of a continued effort to reduce underage drinking, the Gwinnett County Police Department detectives visited thirty-one alcohol retailers in the Snellville area. Out of thirty-one stores visited, zero stores sold alcohol to an underage decoy.

Law enforcement in Gwinnett County has worked with retailers to reduce the availability of alcohol sold to minors by conducting compliance checks like these. The Department of Health and Human Services, in their 2013 Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking has called compliance checks “an important community tool for reducing illegal alcohol sales to minors. In the same report, the Department of Health and Human Services referred to compliance checks as helping to “change or reinforce the perception that underage drinking is not acceptable.” In the past eight years, while we have been tracking the results of the compliance checks in Gwinnett County, we have seen a decrease in sales of alcohol to minors by employees of alcohol establishments.

As law enforcement works with these alcohol establishments to reduce retail availability of alcohol sold to minors, Gwinnett County must address the other piece of the puzzle when it comes to underage drinking—social availability. The term social availability refers to alcohol being made available to young people under the age of 21 which includes providing minors with alcohol or allowing unsupervised places for drinking. The latest data shows that most Gwinnett County teens who drink access alcohol in their homes or in the homes of friends.

Addressing the issue of underage drinking requires a layered, community response; relying on law enforcement, retailers, parents and community members to be vigilant when it comes to underage drinking. By being aware of underage consumption of alcohol at home and at parties as well as setting the tone that underage drinking is not permissible.

We would like to thank the following retailers for their continued commitment to preventing underage drinking by checking IDs of those who purchased alcohol from April through June.

BP, 3739 Highway 78 W, Snellville

Citgo at Snellville, 3752 Highway 78 W, Snellville

Racetrac, 3840 Highway 78 W, Snellville

Valero Fast Mart, 3730 Centerville Hwy., Snellville

Chevron Food Mart, 2991 Everson Rd., Snellville

Walgreen's #06185, 2220 Hewatt Rd., Snellville

Kroger #484, 3035 Scenic Hwy., Snellville

Walgreens, 3505 Centerville Hwy., Snellville

Quicktrip, 3490 Centerville Hwy., Snellville

Sam's Mart, 5260 Stone Mtn. Hwy., Snellville

Sam's Mart #438, 4032 Stone Mtn. Hwy., Snellville

Shell Food Mart, 3283 Centerville Hwy., Snellville

Walmart #3389, 3435 Centerville Hwy., Snellville

Publix, 3550 Centerville Hwy, Snellville

Chevron Food Mart, 3180 Highpoint Ct., Snellville

Kroger Company #370, 4002 Highway 78 W, Snellville

Quick Shop, 2595 Highpoint Rd. Ste 200, Snellville

Two Brothers Food Mart, 3200 Stone Mtn. Hwy, Snellville

Variety Food Mart, 2671 Centerville Hwy, Snellville

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.