The Responsible Beverage Service Training Program, or RBSTP, was adopted in California back in 2022 as a way to help reduce alcohol-related accidents and fatalities and curb underage drinking and the overuse of alcohol throughout the state of California. This is done by ensuring proper training and protocols for beverage servers and their managers as well as any employee who delivers alcohol, accepts the order of an alcoholic beverage or checks IDs at a business that serves alcohol. So, why did California introduce responsible beverage service (RBS) training?
Did you know that California has one of the largest alcohol markets in the United States? Alcohol sales are also a large contributor to California’s economy which remains the 5th largest economy on the planet. Needless to say, that’s a lot of booze so it only makes sense to put a little more attention on the matter of safeguarding both consumers and businesses alike.
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control now requires RBS certification for any new hires within two months of starting employment. Immediate compliance was required for those already in the industry.
Will California’s RBS Make a Difference?
Obviously, California is not the only state to take another step towards protecting communities from harm created by overserving alcohol or the underage selling of alcohol to minors. To some, it might seem a bit much or overstepping but the truth is that these programs are having a positive effect and more like-minded programs will be implemented across the country. To start with, drunk driving issues are on the decline.
According to responsibility.org drunk driving fatalities across the U.S. have declined over the past three decades. However, “alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 32% of the total vehicle traffic fatalities in 2022.” This means that one out of every three fatalities on the road is a result of driving while intoxicated. Despite the obvious progress of programs like RBS, that’s still a bothersome statistic.
So, the immediate answer is that, yes, California’s Responsible Beverage Service Training can, will and does make a difference. Every time a server or seller of alcohol is able to recognize the effects of over imbibing, a life or many lives can literally be saved. This also goes for any attempt by a minor to purchase or consume alcohol. With this additional training, these preventative measures can go a long way when it comes to protecting patrons, businesses and communities across the great state of California.
That is, in fact, the exact message put forward by ABC Licensing Division Chief Jaime Taylor. “The RBS training program is designed to provide licensees, managers, and servers with the tools and knowledge needed to promote responsible consumption, reduce youth access to alcohol, and make communities safer.”
A Quick History of Alcohol Training Programs and the Results
Did you know that another west coast state was responsible for implementing the very first alcohol beverage service program? This distinction belongs to the state of Oregon where mandatory training for servers and sellers was called for in 1986. By 1989, more than half of the state’s servers were properly trained and, according to a joint study by the Prevention Research Center and the University of Minnesota, this resulted in a reduction of nighttime vehicle accidents by 23 percent.
So, it’s easy to see and understand the direct correlation. When a properly trained server or seller of alcohol is more keenly aware of over imbibing or underage drinking, a simple protocol falls into play and lives are potentially spared. Proper training also helps to keep liability issues at a minimum and that’s a big plus for business owners.
California’s RRB Protects Lives and Livelihoods
Imagine the scenario: A patron over imbibes and drives away from a venue. On the way home, that patron crosses a line and harms another driver or, potentially, a family. Even if everyone steps away from the accident, the driver has done irreparable harm to a community and that can create very real liability problems outside of that immediate and potentially horrible tragedy.
Would you want your business to be at the forefront of a heart wrenching headline? The victim or victims would also have clear access to a civil suit that would all but shut down a business, if word of mouth didn’t beat them to it. It would only be too easy to prove that the venue is legally liable for damages.
This is why California’s RBS is in play. Yes, first and foremost it’s about preventing those who over imbibe at a venue from making lesser choices and that translates to protecting lives in a community. However, the positive side effect here is that these new measures can and will also protect business owners and their employees as well as their own brand and legacy in the local market.
If you’re a new hire in the service industry in California and your position requires the passage of the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program then you’re right where you need to be. This is a test that can be completed quickly and, within a matter of hours, you can download and/or print your certification. While it might be a requirement by law, it’s also an opportunity for you to demonstrate your willingness to learn and then actively protect your patrons, your community and your industry.
