CA: Underage drinking, driving focus of new ABC outreach

The Riverbank News
September 11, 2024

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has released its latest Public Service Announcement spotlighting the department’s Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies (TRACE) Program.

“Passengers” depicts the dangers of underage drinking and driving as well as ABC’s efforts to identify those who provide alcohol to minors.

TRACE is an enforcement program that holds accountable those individuals who furnish alcohol to minors who are later killed or injured in alcohol-related incidents, including car crashes. During the last 12 months, ABC’s TRACE program has opened 148 investigations involving teenagers and young adults who were killed in alcohol-related crashes or incidents in California.

The campaign is part of ABC’s overall strategy to educate the public about the consequences of underage drinking, and the importance of enforcing laws that were passed to prevent alcohol-related harm to youth. ABC hopes the message creates a dialogue about underage drinking at alcoholic beverage licensed businesses and amongst parents and guardians with children who are under the age of 21.

ABC was awarded a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to provide the resources needed to create the PSA.

To learn more about ABC enforcement and prevention programs that can help increase public safety, visit the Enforcement and Prevention pages on ABC’s website.

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is the agency of the government of the state of California charged with the regulation of alcoholic beverages. ABC’s mission is to provide the highest level of service and public safety to the people of California through licensing, education, and enforcement. ABC is a department of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency.