CA: Free web-based program offered for those selling and serving alcoholic beverages
By Democrat Staff
August 27, 2018
SACRAMENTO >> The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has released a free online version of its award-winning training for alcoholic beverage servers on its website.
According to John Carr, a spokesman for the ABC, the department’s Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs program helps prevent DUI’s by providing the alcoholic beverage industry with practical information on serving alcoholic beverages safely, responsibly and legally with an emphasis on preventing sales to minors, sales to obviously intoxicated persons, and illicit drug activity at licensed establishments.
“The LEAD program is designed to provide licensees and servers with the tools and knowledge needed to promote responsible consumption, keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, and make our communities safer,” said ABC Director Jacob Appelsmith.
Carr reported the training is important because there are more than 460 Yolo County businesses licensed by the ABC to sell or serve alcohol.
Carr also reported that the California Highway Patrol was responsible for more than 32,000 driving under the influence arrests from January to July statewide.
ABC is making a push to help reduce DUI’s by encouraging alcoholic beverage servers to get trained. ABC has a goal of trying to get 10,000 individuals trained online by the end of September and currently are far short of that number.
In Yolo County, there are 462 bars, restaurants, stores and brewpubs, including 54 in the unincorporated areas along with 144 in Davis, 121 in Woodland, 115 in West Sacramento, and 23 in Winters.
Earlier this year, the California Legislature passed the Responsible Beverage Server Training Program Act. This new law requires all alcoholic beverage servers and their supervisors to complete an ABC-approved training course in responsible beverage service by July 2021. ABC is currently developing a program to approve training providers and expects approved providers to be in place by early 2021. ABC’s classroom and online LEAD training will continue to provide a valuable resource to the industry until training providers are approved to provide training that would satisfy the new requirement.
The Online LEAD Training is made possible by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The LEAD program is in its’ 27th year and continues to add information and make improvements to better serve California’s diverse communities.
ABC licensed businesses and their employees who are interested in the training program can learn more about where and when live training sessions are held at
https://www.tracelead.abc.ca.gov/traceleadpublic/register/screens/AvailableClasses.aspx .