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Alcohol Server Training is a form of occupational education typically provided to servers, sellers and consumers of alcohol to prevent intoxication, drunk driving and underage drinking. Usually underwritten by employers in the hospitality, food-service and related industries, this training is regulated and mandated by state and local laws predominantly in North America, and increasingly in other English-speaking countries. The primary purpose of this employee-training is to mitigate liability during a lawsuit involving intoxication by providing evidence of intent on the part of the establishment that serves and sells alcoholic beverages - a "reasonable efforts defense."
Secondarily, this training is considered effective in reducing incidences of overserving patrons to the point of intoxication, and in preventing sales to minors. For the establishment paying for this training, the most immediate tangible benefit is a reduction in liquor liability insurance premiums paid by all organizations serving or selling alcoholic beverages. Another benefit is regulatory compliance. Increasingly in the United States (for example, the in States of Tennessee, Texas and Louisiana), licenses or permits to serve or sell alcoholic beverages are contingent on obtaining this form of training for employees.
Obtaining training
In the United States, this training is taught by a wide range of educational providers, from individuals to the state. The cost, quality and content of training varies widely from program to program, and from state to state. The term "Alcohol Server Training", as a consequence, is often an umbrella attached to the overall intent of the training, if nothing else. This training usually carries some testing and certification, related to local state regulations, but few programs are provided nationally to any standard.
Example programs
- ServSafe Alcohol — A program of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
- S.M.A.R.T. (Servers & Managers Alcohol Responsibility Training)
- Smart Serve Ontario — a division of the Hospitality Industry Training Organization of Ontario (HITOO)
- S.T.O.P. (Server Training on Premise)
- TAM® (Techniques of Alcohol Management®)
- T.I.P.S. (Training for Intervention Procedures by Servers of alcohol) — Nine different programs focusing on different environments and needs.
External links
"Alcohol Server Training"