Minors who have previously been barred from going to see their favorite bands play, watch a stand-up comedian or attend an art show because alcohol was being served at the venue will no longer have to face refusal at the entrance doors.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission unanimously voted on Friday in favor of creating a new rule that would allow minors to attend venues that host entertainment events for both minors and adults beginning June 1. The establishment would have to provide a control plan that outlines how the licensee will protect minors from consuming or purchasing alcohol.
“Making sure minors are not gaining access to alcohol is a top priority,” said Rudy Williams, deputy director of the OLCC, in a news release. “We had a lot of support from the community and the revisions helped to address concerns raised by moderation groups. With the new minor posting, we can accommodate interest in all-ages events while holding licensees accountable if they don’t follow the control plan.”
The control plan would be a written document that details the steps of how the applicant would prevent minors from drinking alcohol.
There are a lot of ways people can prevent minors from accessing alcoholic drinks such as keeping the two groups separated in two different rooms or floors, using clear cups for minors so staff can see what they are drinking or implementing a wristband system, OLCC spokeswoman Christie Scott said.
Scott also said the idea of a moat would be acceptable, where a bar and drinking area is in the middle of a room and a barrier is placed around it to create a space where drinks cannot be removed and minors would not be let in.
The new rule goes into effect on June 1, but it does not apply to every establishment that serves alcohol.
The posting will apply to a small number of multi-use facilities as well as venues that host all-ages shows where alcohol is served.
“If entertainment is secondary to drinking, then it wouldn’t apply to that place,” Scott said. “We don’t want it to be one guy in the corner playing guitar; it would have to be a place that has entertainment value to it.”
The OLCC wants the new rule change to be as pain-free as possible for applicants, so long as they are taking every step possible to protect minors. The commission doesn’t want it to be a hard-fought process where applicants get frustrated and give up – leaving the fans as the losers.
If an application is submitted by a licensee and does not include a strong control plan, the OLCC would not immediately reject the application, Scott said.
“If a control plan is not up to par, they will go back to the licensee to help work with them and make the plan stronger,” Scott said.
The application process will begin in early June, but Scott warns that if an application is granted and a venue is found to be serving underage drinkers, then the licensee could be fined and lose the opportunity to have minors in that establishment.
[email protected]