Centralia Police Chief Greg Dodson says three of the seven package liquor businesses in Centralia approached by underage persons were sold liquor during a recent compliance check.
The three businesses that sold were Lincoln Liquor Mart, Midtown Liquors, and Circle K. They will be referred to the Centralia Liquor Control Commissioner for a determination of any action to be taken against the license holder.
The clerks who sold the alcohol were issued citations for the sale of alcohol to a minor. They are identified as 43-year-old Helen Elizabeth Jackson of Centralia, 33-year-old Kyra Clark of Farina, and 50-year-old Yogendrasinh Dodiya of Centralia.
Dodson says with the Holiday Season upon us, the Centralia Police Department will be stepping up efforts to ensure that retailers of alcohol are complying with the minimum legal drinking age of 21. The department’s goal by enforcing the laws is to reduce high-risk behavior by minors and increase public safety.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking by those below the age of 21 is strongly associated with alcohol-impaired driving. A Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that high school students surveyed during the past 30 days indicate six percent drove after drinking alcohol and 17-percent rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
