Most North Dakota businesses pass alcohol compliance checks

Officials for the North Dakota Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services recently announced that 89 percent of businesses and 93 percent of bars and restaurants passed alcohol compliance checks in the last two year, the Dickinson Press reports.

The Coalition of Safe Communities partnered with law enforcement agencies in southwest North Dakota to perform alcohol compliance checks of local businesses. Officials told the news source, that they use underage teens, into retailers to attempt to purchase alcohol.

“In North Dakota, substance abuse prevention efforts involve interagency cooperation, and restricting access to alcohol is an effective strategy communities can use to reduce underage drinking,” Chad Eagleson, Department of Human Services’ prevention criminal justice specialist was quoted a in the press release.

Without these compliance checks businesses may be more apt to sell alcohol to minors. Troubled teens programs can help those who engage in risky behavior such as underage drinking and educate them on the harmful effects of the substance.

According to the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly 41 percent of high school students consumed alcohol in the 30 days prior to the study.