Crime & Safety
MA To Start Special Bar Enforcement On 'Drinksgiving'
The state's alcohol commission will aim its enforcement efforts at bars that last sold drinks to people who later got DUIs.
MASSACHUSETTS — The state's alcohol authority this week will start a special holiday campaign to curb drunken driving related to people being over-served at bars and restaurants across the state.
The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission will focus its holiday enforcement on bars that sold drinks to drivers who went on to get a DUI conviction, according to the agency.
The enforcement period begins on Thanksgiving eve — a notorious drinking holiday, often called either Blackout Wednesday or Drinksgiving. The enforcement period will run through New Year's Eve, another heavy-drinking occasion.
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"Vigilant enforcement and deterring bar owners from over-serving prevents problems before they happen and helps keep people safe," State Treasurer Deb Goldberg said in a news release.
The ABCC's enforcement division routinely investigates complaints against bars and restaurants for over-selling alcohol. Inspections slowed down to zero in 2020 due to the pandemic from an average of 14 per year since 2012. The agency found six violations for selling alcohol to intoxicated people in 2021, according to an annual ABCC report.
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