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Responsible Beverage Service Training

Description of Strategy

Responsible Beverage Service Training programs give owners, managers, and staff of establishments that serve alcohol knowledge and skills to help them serve alcohol responsibly and fulfill the legal requirements of alcohol service. Training programs for managers and owners most often provide guidance on implementation of service policies and practices. Training programs for servers may address the following: checking IDs, serving practices that reduce the likelihood of excessive consumption, identifying and responding to early signs of excessive consumption (for example, rapid consumption), identifying intoxicated patrons and refusing service to them, and intervening to prevent intoxicated patrons from driving (Guide To Community Preventive Services, 2010).

In 2003, the Wyoming legislature recognized the value of responsible server training and enacted legislation that required the Liquor Division of the Wyoming Department of Revenue to promulgate rules to establish “an alcohol server training program to train servers to help promote safe and responsible consumption of alcoholic liquor” (Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 12-2-402 a-d, 2017). The existing legislation controls the curriculum for the training, the certification of training providers, and the revocation or suspension of certification of training providers. Wyoming law does not mandate the training for servers, managers, or owners (Wyoming Prevention Framework Communities, 2008).

Also known as...

TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures)

Discussion of Effectiveness

Alcohol

Responsible Beverage Service Training was found to be an effective strategy for reducing alcohol consumption as part of multi-component intervention (Birdthistle & Buka, 1999; Holder et al., 2000; University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 2015). However, there is insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of Responsible Beverage Service Training at reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms at the community level (Guide to Community Preventive Services, 2010; Ker & Chinnock, 2008; Stockwell, 2001). Recent research confirms findings from prior studies showing modest initial effects from server training with decreasing effectiveness over time (Toomey et al., 2017).