JACKSON, Miss. – Investigators with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement Division recently conducted alcohol and beer compliance checks in Oxford and Picayune resulting in the issuance of six total citations for selling alcohol to minors.
In Oxford on October 23, the following businesses received citations when checked for compliance on selling alcohol to minors: Frank & Marlees, Rib Cage of Oxford and Soulshine Pizza Factory.
Attorney General Hood pre-warns, “If you sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, you will pay a stout fine to the State between $500-$1,000 for a first offense, and if you continue to sell you could lose your permit to sell and possibly face a fine of $1,000-$2,000, and up to a year in jail. We appreciate the support and commitment of local law enforcement agencies, and I am certain that our combined efforts will vastly help reduce the sale of alcohol to underage drinkers.”
“At the core of this law is the safety of our young people. It simply states that it is illegal in Mississippi to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21,” said Attorney General Jim Hood.
In Picayune on October 21, the following businesses received citations when checked for compliance on selling alcohol to minors: Applebee’s and El Mariachi.
“We conduct alcohol checks frequently,” said Attorney General Hood. “In these routine checks, we issue citations to bartenders or servers. We like to keep vigilance high, particularly in college towns, but also in surrounding areas, that we are out enforcing our state’s alcohol and tobacco laws statewide.”
Attorney General Hood concludes, “The Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement Division provides training for staff and management of any retail establishment which sells alcohol. I urge business owners and managers to contact my office, and ask for on-site training. The lives of our children and loved ones are at risk whenever alcohol consumption and driving are mixed. Other dangers include binge or excessive drinking which can also result in overdose, an accident or injury. Retailers who are vigilant in following the law can significantly improve a safe environment for all.”
During the past fiscal year, the Attorney General’s Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement Unit has conducted more than 6,000 compliance checks with 203 buys for a 3.28% buy rate across the state.
Most of the information provided is from an A.G. Jim Hood press release
