By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
East Windsor Township considers underaged drinking – and the sale of beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages to young people – to be a serious issue.
And that’s why Mayor Janice Mironov and Township Council have asked the owners of liquor stores and bars in the township to sign a pledge to participate in the "We Check for 21|" program.
At the June 27 Township Council meeting, the owners of more than a dozen liquor stores and bars signed the pledge in conjunction with – and as a condition of – the annual issuance or renewal of their licenses to sell alcoholic beverages.
"We Check for 21" is an annual program that is essentially a partnership between East Windsor municipal government and the community, Mayor Mironov said. It celebrates the relationship between the municipal government and the license holders.
The program is designed to prevent underage drinking and to heighten the awareness of the problem within the community, according to a resolution adopted by Township Council.
About eight in 10 youths will have consumed alcohol by the time they reach 12th grade, and more than half of them will have become intoxicated at some point, the resolution said.
And about 1,000 drivers between 16 and 20 years old who are involved in fatal driving accidents each year will be found to have a blood alcohol content in excess of .08, which is the level at which a driver normally can be ticketed for driving while intoxicated, the resolution said.
Underaged drinking can result in a minimum fine of $500, as well as a six-month suspension of a driver’s license. An under-aged drinker whose blood alcohol limit is .02 percent can be charged with driving while intoxicated if he or she is behind the steering wheel of a car.
"The ‘We Check for 21’ program is an excellent vehicle to bring together municipal government leaders, young people, parents, key community and school leaders, policy makers and local businesses toward a common, positive community effort," the resolution stated.
Mayor Mironov said the consequences of underaged drinking can be quite dramatic, and that’s why this is an important mission. No one wants to see a young person make a misjudgment, she said.
Township Councilman Peter Yeager, who serves on the East Windsor Municipal Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse, said the group is on the front lines of drug and alcohol abuse prevention.
"We would prefer to be on the prevention side of the house and not the treatment side," Yeager said.
And then, one by one, the owners or representatives of the liquor stores and bars walked up to the podium and signed the "We Check for 21" pledge.
