Diageo Supports New Jersey's "Cops in Shops" Program Designed to Combat Underage Drinking
NORWALK, Conn., June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks company, announced its support today of "Cops in Shops," the comprehensive law enforcement and public awareness program led by New Jersey Attorney General Paula T. Dow, Drug Free New Jersey & the New Jersey Divisions of Alcoholic Beverage Control & Highway Traffic Safety.
The Cops in Shops program places undercover police officers in participating retail locations where they will pose as store employees or be positioned outside the establishment to apprehend adults who attempt to purchase alcohol for underage drinkers and kids attempting to buy alcohol illegally. The New Jersey Cops in Shops program is recognized nationally as an effective way to limit underage access to alcohol. Since its inception in 1996, more than 9,000 underage persons and adults have been arrested in New Jersey as a result of the Cops in Shops initiative.
Diageo representatives joined law enforcement personnel and Attorney General Dow, Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Director Jerry Fischer, Division of Highway Traffic Safety Director Gary Poedubicky and Monmouth County Prosecutor Peter B. Warshaw, Jr. earlier this week to announce the program.
"As we begin the July 4th holiday weekend and look towards the rest of the summer, it is imperative that we work to keep our kids safe," said Dwayne Kratt, Senior Director, State Government Relations, Diageo North America. "This program is an example of how Diageo works with law enforcement and retailers on finding solution-oriented approaches to combat underage drinking. This program proves that by working together, we can make a real difference and help keep alcohol out of the hands of anyone under 21."
Studies repeatedly find that kids who choose to drink typically get alcohol from adults who knowingly provide it, even though the teens are underage. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that nearly 70 percent of minors who drink do not purchase alcohol themselves. Cops in Shops works to create safe and responsible communities where teens have no access to alcohol.
Kratt continued, "The Cops in Shops initiative has proved extremely successful in the past and everyone at Diageo is proud to be a part of it."
About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Windsor, Buchanan's and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
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SOURCE Diageo
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