Beginning later this week, teams consisting of local police officers, investigators from the County Prosecutors Office and investigators from the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control will be working undercover in bars and restaurants to identify underage people who order or consume alcoholic beverages as well as those who serve the underage person. Penalties for underage drinking or for purchasing alcohol in a bar, restaurant and liquor store include a fine of between $500-$1,000 and the loss or postponement of driving privileges. Bartenders, sales clerks or waiters who sell alcohol to persons under 21 can be fined $1,000 while the establishment faces administrative penalties including liquor license suspension.

"We must protect our youth from the dangers of alcohol. Teenaged drinking leads to car crashes, fighting, unwanted pregnancies, and boating accidents," said Attorney General Harvey. "This Cape May County Underage Drinking Enforcement initiative sends a strong message to both underage drinkers and the establishments that serve them that underaged drinking will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted. Law enforcement officers are working undercover to enforce the state's ABC regulations and criminal statutes."

Cape May County is home to approximately 110,000 residents. However, the population surges to three-quarters of a million during the summer tourism months. Local law enforcement has observed that underage drinking in the county is a persistent problem and is a disturbingly common cause of traffic crashes as well as criminal activity.

“Maintaining the safety of our residents and our visitors is a priority,” said Acting Prosecutor Meyer. “This grant will help us crack down on underage drinking in the county while also sending a clear message to the owners of licensed beverage establishments that they must adhere to the state’s alcohol laws.”

Reducing alcohol misuse as well as alcohol-related crashes and fatalities is a priority of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is the source of the grant funding. “Almost 40-percent of our fatal traffic crashes in New Jersey are alcohol-related,” said Roberto Rodriguez, Director of the Division. “We are pleased to award this grant to Cape May County as part of our comprehensive statewide campaign to reduce impaired driving.”

The grant award to Cape May County is part of a concerted effort to reduce underage drinking this summer in New Jersey shore resort communities. The Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control is currently administering “Cops in Shops” programs in four shore counties (Cape May, Atlantic, Ocean and Monmouth). In the “Cops in Shops” program, local police officers work undercover in retail liquor establishments to deter underage persons from purchasing alcohol. Since first being implemented in New Jersey in 1996, the “Cops in Shops” program has resulted in the arrests of more than 3,600 underage persons and adults who have purchased alcohol for young people.

“Underage drinking and irresponsible alcohol use can tear at the fabric of an entire community and directly impact the quality of life for all New Jerseyans,” Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Director Jerry Fischer said. “During the summer months, in particular, the extraordinary family experience at the shore can be severely impacted by underage drinking and over consumption of alcohol. It is our hope through enhanced law enforcement efforts, such as this new initiative, and through continued public awareness and education efforts, we can make young people think rationally about the choices they make regarding alcohol use.”

Of the 1,234 motor vehicle drivers killed in traffic crashes in New Jersey from 1999-2001, 491 of those fatalities, or 39.7% were alcohol-related. Of those 1,234 drivers killed, 131 were under the age of 21. In addition, during the same three-year time period, more than 110,000 New Jersey motorists were arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the 42,116 people killed on our nation’s roads in 2001, 17,448 or 41% were alcohol-related. In 2002, 17,970 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, which represents approximately 42% of the year’s 42,850 total motor vehicle fatalities.

The mission of the Division of Highway of Highway Traffic Safety is to reduce fatalities, injuries and property damage on the roads of New Jersey resulting from traffic crashes. The bulk of the Division’s funding comes from the federal government, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The funding received by the Division is used to undertake state-wide traffic safety programs and is also dispersed to local, county and state agencies in the form of traffic safety grants.