“It is in the best interest of public safety to prevent underage drinking as it can lead to various kinds of accidents, assaults, DUIs and poor decisions that can impact lives for years to come.”

CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

LAKE ELSINORE – On May 17, 2025, California Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) agents and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office cited three individuals during an ABC Shoulder Tap operation in the city of Lake Elsinore for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors.

A shoulder tap operation targets adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21 years of age. Under the program, decoys under the age of 21, and under the direct supervision of a peace officer, stand outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol. The decoys indicate, in some way, they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol. If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, they can be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

“Underage drinking harms our community. Preventing the sale of alcohol to minors will help to increase public safety and make our roads safer,” said Riverside County Sheriff’s Captain James Rayls.

The program is intended to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics show they generally have a higher rate of drunken driving crashes than adults.

“We conduct these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said ABC Chief Deputy Director Frank Robles. “By preventing underage drinking, we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs.”