Sunday, June 10, 2012

ABCA Focuses On Underage Drinking

{Charleston, West Virginia}...More than 40 Alcohol Beverage Control Administration officers from around the country were in Charleston Friday for the National Liquor Law Enforcement Academy. Gary Robinson, spokesman for the West Virginia ABCA, said law enforcement officers can monitor Facebook party invitations and watch YouTube videos of parties to spot offenders. In March, West Virginia University students were the subjects of a viral documentary during St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The video depicted students drinking heavily, setting fires and committing other illegal behavior. School officials, police and ABCA officers watched the video and issued citations to some of the students who drank underage. Robinson said ABCA officers were shown a similar video shot at an unnamed college before and after a football game, and you would have thought you were in a war zone, with cars being overturned and set on fire and students rioting. Robinson said about 1,700 college students die every year from misuse of alcohol, and there are about 70,000 sexual assaults in the country and an even higher number of unreported cases.