Massachusetts Alcohol Responsibility Program launched in Waltham:
“A new paradigm for safe and responsible alcohol sales and service”
June 13, 2019
Waltham, Massachusetts – The Responsible Retailing Forum (RRForum) has launched the Massachusetts Alcohol Responsibility Program (MA ARP) in the City of Waltham. The MA ARP is a public-private partnership between the RRForum, Massachusetts cities and towns, and alcohol beverage licensees and their industry partners. The MA ARP assists licensees to achieve consistently high compliance with alcohol sales laws and promote responsible sales and consumption within communities.
“Alcohol responsibility is not simply a policy,” says RRForum President, Brad Krevor. “Alcohol responsibility is built upon an ongoing system that continually reinforces staff responsibilities to check IDs and, in on-premises serving establishments, to monitor consumption and refuse service to obviously-impaired customers.” The MA ARP is built upon (1) periodic feedback to staff and managers on actual conduct in checking IDs as observed by young, legal-age mystery shoppers, (2) adoption of Responsible Retailing Best Practices, and (3) communication and cooperation among law enforcement, licensing commissions, and licensees and their industry partners, and customers.
All licensees that enroll in the MA ARP receive quarterly mystery shops each year, with written reports and assistance in implementing Responsible Retailing Best Practices. The MA ARP provides signage that conveys the licensee’s commitment to alcohol responsibility and to the safety and well-being of customers, staff and the general community. Enrollment for a licensee is $250/year.
Individual cities and towns that participate in the MA ARP receive reports on aggregate ID-checking rates in that community that can be shared with all licensees. These reports allow licensing and law enforcement agencies to communicate with licensees on topical issues and any areas of concern. As in Waltham, a community-specific page on the RRForum website will provide guidance and resources for licensees. The website will also permit licensees to pose questions anonymously and register their concerns to police and the licensing commission. As in Waltham, Instagram and Facebook pages will allow communication with licensees in real time on safety issues.
Since high participation rates lead to community-level reductions in underage sales and alcohol abuse, cities and towns benefit from wide participation. In Waltham, participation will be regarded by the Licensing Commission as a positive indication of the licensee’s commitment to responsible retailing in any future administrative actions.
Launched in 2003 as a project of Brandeis University, RRForum is a national non-profit whose objectives are to research ways of achieving compliance with the alcohol (and tobacco) sales laws and to promote evidence-based approaches for licensees, communities and states to reduce underage access and alcohol abuse. The model for the MA ARP was developed and validated under a series of Small Business Innovation Research awards to RRForum from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and a research award from the U.S. Dept of Justice.
Interested parties can learn more about MA ARP, and the RRForum at www.rrforum.org.
CONTACT: (RRFORUM), Brad Krevor, krevor@rrforum.org (617) 454-4676