Operation Teen Proof.

District Attorney Jeanine Pirro and representatives of the New York State Police, Local Police Departments and Heineken USA announced the next phase of Operation Teen Proof in the continuing effort to curb the epidemic of underage drinking in Westchester.

Operation Teen Proof, a comprehensive program instituted by the District Attorney’s Office in 2002, will expand its message to reach additional teenagers and their parents. This effort comes on the heels of District Attorney Pirro’s and Governor George Pataki’s legislative proposal to mandate the suspension until age 21 or for one year (whichever is longer) of the
drivers’ licenses of those under 21 who possess a forged or altered driver’s license in an attempt to illegally purchase alcohol.

Additionally, District Attorney Pirro unveiled a new public service announcement, sponsored by Heineken, USA, that urges parents to lock up their alcohol, because teens report the place they most often get alcohol is in their homes.

Under the Operation Teen Proof program, the District Attorney’s Office is again providing informational packages, including Security Laminate Verifiers, paid for by Heineken USA and its local distributor, Phoenix Beverages, to every licensed alcohol establishment in Westchester County. These verifiers allow proprietors the ability to identify the authenticity of a New York State Driver’s License issued after April 1997 by revealing the laminate security feature. The package also includes a letter urging licensees to abide by their legal obligation to check the age of the customer and turn over any
fraudulent licenses to law enforcement. Also included will be stickers they can post in their stores reminding their customers that they require proof of age before they sell alcohol.

An additional component of Operation Teen Proof is the vigorous use of compliance checks, cited by the United States Department of Justice as essential to any effective strategy to reduce underage drinking. During the first three months of 2005, teams of Investigators from the District Attorney’s Office, members of the State and local police accompanied teenage
undercover operatives who attempted to purchase alcohol 54 times from licensed establishments in Westchester. They were successful in 14 of their attempts resulting in 33 charges. In recent years, the County has seen the devastating result of alcohol abuse by teenagers, contributing to the tragic loss of life in traffic accidents, binge drinking and violence.
District Attorney Pirro said, “The consequences of teenage alcohol abuse are far reaching. This office continues to investigate and prosecute those individuals and businesses who sell alcohol to teenagers. Law enforcement cannot do it alone. Our teens must recognize the dangers of underage drinking. With the cooperation and compliance of the County’s alcohol beverage retailers especially Heineken USA and its local wholesaler, Phoenix Beverage, and with the help of parents we can prevent the tragic consequence of underage drinking.”

T. Daniel Tearno, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of Heineken USA said, “Underage drinking is a serious issue which must be fought on many fronts. We are pleased to join with District Attorney Pirro, a nationally recognized leader in the fight against underage drinking, and Phoenix Beverage in Operation Teen Proof. These Security Laminate Verifiers will enable responsible alcohol beverage retailers to effectively deal with this problem of high quality counterfeit licenses. Westchester County is our US home and we want to help to be a part of the solution to underage drinking. Heineken
USA and Lobo funded the purchase of over 2500 of the Verifiers and the production of the Public Service Announcement.”