Responsible alcohol service and safety training held in Dewey

To help Delaware bars and restaurants kick off the busy summer season safely and smoothly, the Delaware Restaurant Association hosted a responsible alcohol service and safety training event at the Lighthouse Cove Events Center in Dewey Beach June 2.

About 155 people, including servers, bartenders, security staff, managers and owners from across the state, attended the free event. It was held in partnership with the Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement, the Office of Highway Safety and the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner.

“When you’re dealing with intoxicated people, you have to work as a team [to ensure safety],” said DATE’s Lt. Michael Loiseau.

Loiseau gave the audience tips and techniques on responsible alcohol service, including how to avoid overservice, how to identify fake IDs and how to cut off a patron who’s been overserved. He also reviewed the state regulations for alcohol service and delivery and the consequences of violating them. 

Roy Bryant of OHS spoke about drug- and alcohol-related traffic fatalities, and taught the audience how to recognize when patrons are already under the influence of different substances. He mentioned the OHS Sober Rides program, which through a partnership with Uber and Lyft provides discounted rides on certain holidays to deincentivize people from driving under the influence.

Attendees also learned about fire safety from Delaware State Fire Marshal John Rudd. In case of a fire or other emergency, they will be the first line of defense, he told them.

He urged them all to know their establishment’s posted occupancy and to stick to it, being sure to always count patrons in and out. By preventing overcrowding, they can prevent potential catastrophes.

Dewey Beach Police Chief Constance Speake and Rehoboth Beach Police Lt. Mark Sweet also spoke briefly, reiterating that employees must not let in or serve patrons who are already intoxicated, as they will just get more intoxicated and may cause issues. In case of fights or other problems, they said to call the police for help.

Speake reminded everyone that while recreational marijuana use is legal in Delaware, it is illegal to smoke or ingest it in public areas. She also said that if anyone sees a patron trying to leave an establishment with an open drink, they need to either take it from the person or have them pour it out.

Toward the end of the event, Ana Bueno and Anne Carr from the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health led a training on overdose prevention and how to administer Narcan, a nalaxone nasal spray medication that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. They also highlighted Delaware’s Restaurant Accolade Program, which trains restaurant employees in how to respond to overdoses.

Bueno and Carr explained to attendees how to recognize an overdose but emphasized that administering Narcan to someone who has not overdosed will not harm them in any way. In other words, if they think someone has overdosed but are not sure, they should still follow the procedure and administer the medication just in case.

Lewis Sacks of Guardian Medical Lifesavers closed the training with continued discussion about health emergency preparedness.