Stateways

StateWays Jan/Feb 2016

StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions

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11 StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2016 [ PROFILE ] Moats also focuses on maintaining positive relation- ships with the agency's retailers and suppliers, citing their feedback and buy-in as crucial to the success of the WVABCA. The state has a modest, but growing, alco- hol beverage industry, and the number of local winer- ies, breweries and distilleries in West Virginia continue to increase each year. Moats thinks that being proactive about engaging with these partners results in a positive impact for all parties. An annual trade show that the agency sponsors each September is just one example of how the WVABCA brings together retailers and suppliers to discuss industry trends and new products. In addition to being a hub of information sharing, the trade show also generates ap- proximately 8 - 9% of the state's yearly liquor sales. Safety and Enforcement While customer service is very important to him, Moats stresses that public safety is always his primary concern. The agency oversees 5,000 retail licensees, and imme- diately after his appointment, Moats cracked down on several hundred licensees who were in violation of vari- ous protocols. Those licensees received administrative penalties, and the agency set a precedent that infractions would not be tolerated. The WVABCA also invested a great amount of time and effort in public education. Prior to Moats's appoint- ment as commissioner, the agency fi nalized the develop- ment of a DUI simulator, which was funded by grants provided by State Farm, the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) and the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program. The multi-screen simulator allows students to safely experience the diffi - culties drivers may encounter at various blood alcohol content levels. Moats says the simulator is effective because it capi- talizes on the popularity of video games among young people, and allows students to have a physical experi- ence, instead of just being lectured to about the dangers of driving under the infl uence of alcohol. "If we talk to these kids and give them some idea of what it's actually like to drink and drive, hopefully they'll make better decisions," he says. Since the program's launch in November 2010, the simulator has traveled to nearly every West Virginia high school at least once, reaching more than 25,000 students. The simulator is also used at various summer events, re- inforcing its message statewide. Another popular educational outreach effort is the No School Spirits public service announcement (PSA) con- test, which is currently running for the third consecutive year. Designed to complement the DUI simulator pro- gram, the No School Spirits contest is open to all West Virginia high schools. Students are encouraged to submit an essay or video explaining why their school should be chosen to help produce a PSA addressing the issues of underage drinking and drinking and driving. Funded by State Farm, NABCA, and the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program, the contest awards a $5,000 fi rst place prize, a $2,500 second prize, and a $1,000 third prize to the winning schools. Additionally, the fi rst prize entry is produced as a televised PSA that runs in the spring (during prom season). In addition to these high school programs, the WV- ABCA has produced two grant-funded training videos specifi c to both on- and off-premise licensees, which show how to identify underage individuals with fake I.D.s and prevent over-service. The agency also works closely with colleges and universities, state and local law enforcement agencies, community coalitions, and other organizations to promote messages centered on respon- sible drinking and serving. Technology Developments The WVABCA has focused on internal warehouse and sys- tem improvements over the years. In 2011, the process of updating seven existing legacy systems began. The primary goal of the overhaul was to improve operational effi ciencies. Once the various aspects of the new system were re- viewed and approved by the state's central offi ce of tech- nology, the in-house component - consisting of case management, enforcement and licensing applications - launched in April 2014. Several months later, iPads were

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