Hudson sets the bar in alcohol compliance
One of the common complaints lodged against newspapers – and this one is no exception – is that they focus too much attention on “bad” news at the expense of the positive things happening in the community.
So today we would like to put some additional emphasis on some good news we first reported in a front-page story last Wednesday: that the town of Hudson’s liquor establishments recorded a perfect score in the latest compliance check undertaken by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission.
While this would be worthy of recognition any time of the year, it is particularly newsworthy as we enter the holiday season – a time when one alcohol-related death involving a teen on the roadways is one death too many.
On Nov. 18, an underage buyer working in conjunction with the commission’s Bureau of Enforcement and the Hudson Police Department walked into 16 establishments and tried to purchase alcohol. All 16 times that person was denied.
Five days earlier, 25 of 26 businesses passed a similar compliance check – Stop & Shop was the only exception.
Combined, that was a considerable improvement over a year earlier, when seven of the 23 establishments tested were cited for selling alcohol to a minor; nine were cited in 2007.
It also was the second time a Greater Nashua community fared well in these checks during the past two months. In September, only two of 40 businesses were cited for selling alcohol to an underage buyer in Milford.
Conversely, more than one third of the liquor establishments tested in Nashua – 25 of 70 – failed the most recent alcohol compliance check conducted in August, far below the statewide compliance rate of about 90 percent.
Those businesses not found to be in compliance are subjected to various penalties. For example, all 10 businesses that failed a recent alcohol compliance check in Manchester were given a verbal warning, four points toward their license and ordered to attend a mandatory management training seminar within 90 days.
While it’s important to hold these individuals accountable for their actions, the much broader purpose of the state’s alcohol compliance program is education.
The Liquor Commission offers a number of such programs, including one called Total Education in Alcohol Management. or TEAM. Established in 1985, this program is intended to help licensees and their employers better deal with underage buyers, fake IDs and intoxicated customers.
The commission also encourages the owners of the establishments to conduct their own educational programs to ensure all their workers understand what is required of them by the state as a licensed seller of alcoholic beverages in New Hampshire.
Apparently, that message is getting through in Hudson, so kudos to: 7-Eleven (2), American Legion #48, Ayotte’s Market, Backstreet Bar & Grill, Best Bet Stateline, Black Cow Convenience, Bull Run Beef, Circle K, Cumberland Farms, Cyclone Arena, Drink Shoppe, Dynamite Sushi, E&A Mart Corp., Gabby’s Corner, Green Tea Chinese, Haffner’s Kick Stop, Hannaford Supermarket, Hudson Bridge Express, Hudson House of Pizza, Hudson Stateline Convenience, Linda’s Sports Bar, MacDaddy’s Place, Market Basket, Mobil on the Run, Nan King Restaurant, Palmer’s Market, Pizza Hut, Pizza Man, Professor’s Pizza, Rite Aid (2), Roger’s Variety, Sam’s Club, SoHo Restaurant, State Liquor Store, T-Bones of Hudson, Valentino’s Restaurant, VFW Post 5791, Walmart and White Hen Pantry.
