Store clerk in CL cited for selling alcohol to minors

A business in Canyon Lake was cited for selling alcohol to a minor during a minor decoy operation on Jan. 20 conducted by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

The clerk who allegedly sold alcohol to the minor faces a minimum fine of $250, or 24 to 32 hours of community service for the first violation. ABC will also consider administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business, which was located within the 24000 block of Canyon Lake Drive. The action could include fines, suspension, or permanent revocation.

The operation targeted four retail licensees in Riverside County, resulting in the one citation at the Canyon Lake Drive business.

“Minor Decoy operations hold accountable those who sell alcohol to minors,” ABC Director Joseph McCullough said. “Keeping alcohol away from youth is a priority.”

Since their initiation in the 1980s, Minor Decoy operations have effectively reduced the rate of alcohol sales to minors from as high as 40-50% to as low as 10% in some cities. Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunk driving fatalities than the general adult population.

Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.