Alcohol Abuse Treatment - Alcohol Rehab Directory

New Hampshire sting on underage alcohol drinking

New Hampshire liquor officers crack down on selling to minors

NEW HAMPSHIRE - On Saturday, September 25, 2010, Nick, a 17-year old volunteer working with Joshua R. Stone from the New Hampshire Division of Liquor Enforcement, sits in the pub at New England College attempting to buy a drink. Although denied, Nick, Joshua, and police from the Henniker police department, conducted several operations during which they caught restaurants, bars, and retailers ni New Hampshire selling alcohol to minors. The regularly scheduled operations are part of a larger initiative to curb underage consumption within the state of New Hampshire.

Nick Hoisington looks relaxed as he enters the cozy Henniker bar. He takes a seat and waits for the bartender to make his way around. He's done this before and knows that if he plays it cool enough, he may not even get asked for his license, which identifies him as a 17-year-old, complete with a red stripe that reads "UNDER 21."

He orders a Corona and the man behind the bar asks for ID. Hoisington surrenders it and the bartender looks it over. He gives it back, then places a cold beer in front of his underage customer.

Instead of taking a victorious sip from the bottle, Hoisington goes outside to report to the officers he's working with. For $40, Hoisington spends three hours of his Saturday night working with the New Hampshire Division of Liquor Enforcement and the local police to bust drinking establishments that sell to underage buyers.

Hoisington is a freshman studying fire science at New Hampshire Community Technical College in Laconia.

"I think he was trying to calculate the date in his head, but he couldn't," he muses as he fills out some paperwork in the front seat of the unmarked cruiser, next to Joshua Stone, the state liquor enforcement officer he's working with. He writes the name of the business, what he ordered and what time he came and left.

"There's usually a 90 percent success rate each night we go out, but some nights are worse than others," Stone said.

This particular night - one Saturday late last month - was worse. Of the 10 businesses in Henniker, Bow and Pembroke that Hoisington was sent into, three sold him alcohol.

"Sometimes, the sellers do get confused," Stone said. "They get flustered by the math, or they aren't used to minors presenting an ID that actually shows they are underage. In many instances, it's a training issue."

For that reason, Stone said, most first-time offenders receive training instead of a fine or a misdemeanor citation. The businesses they work for receive points against their liquor license. As with a driver's license, too many points lead to a suspension.

After each bust, Stone goes into the business to explain to the owner and the bartender or clerk what happened and what the consequences will be. Some are mad at themselves for making the mistake, and some are mad at Stone for what they call a trick. One gas station attendant becomes furious, screaming that he will lose his job over the citation. A young cashier at a pharmacy bursts into tears over her error.

Cpl. Paul Montray of the Merrimack County Sheriff's Office and Sgt. Matt French of the Henniker Police Department followed Stone and Hoisington. After each bust, they went in and decided whether or not to issue a citation to the seller.

If it's a first offense and an honest mistake, they usually won't, Montray said. A misdemeanor for selling alcohol to minors can make it tough to get a job at any place that runs a criminal background check, he said.

As an officer in Henniker, a town often bustling with New Hampshire College students on the weekend, French said he has seen the impact of underage drinking.

"We have kids binge drinking at parties, getting in fights and getting in car accidents," French said.