The evidence is in: Mandatory carding is working.
Katy Travis, program director for the Drug-Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County, wrote a letter to the (Lafayette) Journal & Courier about the effectiveness of the mandatory carding law in halting underage purchases in Tippecanoe County.
The letter outlines the positive results of the new law, which has been on the books since July.
The coalition is the only Drug-Free communities grantee in the state that works with local law enforcement on compliance checks. Once a month, the group teams up with the Lafayette or West Lafayette Police Departments and checks in 12-15 retail outlets by sending in a minor accompanied by a plainclothes police officer.
"In 2009 we had a 6.7 percent non-compliance rate. In 2010, we have a 3.6 percent non-compliance rate," says Travis. "However, since the law has gone in to effect, we have conducted three separate checks of 45 establishments, and there were no sales. We now have a 100 percent compliance rate in Tippecanoe County."
According to the mandatory carding law, any retail clerk selling alcohol must check the ID of a customer before making a sale.
At least one Indianapolis legislator, Sen. Jim Merritt, has stated publicly he hopes to "reform" the law due to complaints from his elderly constituents.
Click here to read Travis' letter to the editor.
Click here to read more from Project RAD.
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