The state may add some checks of retailers for underage liquor sales to go along with checks for underage tobacco sales. Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division Administrator, Lynn Walding, says the tobacco checks have been successful.Walding says they achieved 88-percent compliance last year, and hope to get the number of stores that make underage sales down to single digits. Walding says he’d like to get some federal funds to conduct the underage alcohol checks.He says the state patrol recently conducted a check and found one-third of the retailers selling alcohol to minors. He says retailers may’ve become lax in selling alcohol to minors.He says lack of checks on retailers may’ve contributed to the sale to minors increasing higher than it should be. As for the state tobacco checks, they’ll go on for the third year.Walding says their budget has been cut, so instead of checking every retailer twice, they’ll check them just once. Those who’re caught will be checked a second time. Walding says the checks are just one of the things that helps prevent sales to minors. He says education is also a key.He says they still find that 50-percent of the sales to minors are still made after an employee has checked an I-D. Walding says they’d rather have retailers train employees to self-police themselves instead of having to crack down with legal action.
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