Retailers seem to be getting the message about selling booze to teenagers. Redding Police did a minor decoy alcohol sting operation on Friday, targeting store clerks to try to get them to sell alcohol to the underage decoy without an ID. 27 different businesses were visited and not a single one of the store clerks allowed the illegal alcohol sales. The penalty is a minimum $250 fine and 24 to 32 hours of community service. State Alcoholic Beverage Control may take administrative action against the store as well. When minor decoy operations began in the 1980s the violation rate was often as high as 50%. It now averages around 10% or lower.
-Steve Gibson