Bar Card
The Bar Card is a term used to denote the Louisiana Responsible Vendor program certification. This certification is a requirement for anyone selling or serving alcohol or tobacco products in the State of Louisiana. The program is administered and overseen by the Louisiana Alcohol Tobacco Control or ATC. The Louisiana ATC website is https://atc.la.gov
The program was created in 1997 and has been very successful in increasing the safety of serving alcohol and tobacco products in Louisiana. The law requires that any person serving alcohol or tobacco products in Louisiana complete a training course and pass an exam to obtain their "bar card", within 45 days of their hire. This law also applies to anyone who deals with customers who are purchasing alcohol or tobacco products in Louisiana The certification is valid for four years and must be renewed to maintain compliance.
The retail locations at which licensed servers are employed are required to keep employment records on site for inspection by ATC Enforcement Agents. These agents also conduct routine inspections to ensure compliance of licensed vendors and their servers. Violations can be addressed by the imposition of fines and penalties, and can be adjudicated in civil or criminal court, depending on the violation. This law is listed under Louisiana Title 26.
The content of the course is similar for all providers and a listing of the topics required to be taught is provided by the Louisiana ATC:
- Responsible Vendor Law
- Vendor Responsibilities
- Server and Security Personnel Responsibilities
- Louisiana Laws on Serving Alcohol and Tobacco Products
- Louisiana Laws on Serving Alcohol: Identification
- How to Detect False Identification
- ATC Regulation of Alcohol and Tobacco Sales to Minors
- Effects of Alcohol on Your Body
- Blood Alcohol Concentration
- Alcohol and Medication
- Alcohol and Driving Motor Vehicles
- Sale of Alcohol to Intoxicated Persons
- Pathways of Tobacco
- Effects of Tobacco on Your Body
- Tobacco Sales: Signage and Vending Machine Requirements
Additional topics include:
- Classification of alcohol as a depressant and its effect on the human body, particularly on the ability to drive a motor vehicle
- Effects of alcohol when taken with commonly used prescription and nonprescription drugs
- Absorption rate, as well as the rate at which the human body can dispose of alcohol and how food affects the absorption rate
- Methods of identifying and dealing with underage and intoxicated persons, including strategies for delaying and denying sales and service to intoxicated and underage persons
- State laws and regulations regarding the sale and service of alcoholic beverages for consumption on and off premises
- Parish and municipal ordinances and regulations, including but not limited to the hours of operation, noise, litter and other ordinances that affect the sale and service of alcoholic beverages for consumption on and off premises
- State and federal laws and regulations related to the lawful age to purchase tobacco products and age verification procedures and requirements
- The health risks and consequences associated with the consumption of tobacco products including but not limited to their addictive nature
- For security personnel, the handling of disruptive customers and customer altercations
The bar card program also requires those serving in the capacity of a security officer or bouncer, or who may be called upon to address a disturbance at an alcoholic beverage outlet, are also required to complete an additional Security course and certification exam.
The certification courses may be taken online by approved ATC providers. There currently exists only one online provider that administers both the Responsible Vendor Bar Card and the Security Bar Card. The company is named ABSEC and the bar card is also sometimes referred to as the ABSEC card.
Their website is https://abseclllc.com and the webpage that describes the bar card and requirements is https://absecllc.com/responsible-vendor/.
References[edit]
Description of the term "bar card" that refers to Louisiana's Responsible Vendor program. This term is used by almost everyone involved in the service of alcohol and tobacco products in Louisiana.[edit]
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