In many areas of the country, drinking is something that is considered to be a personal choice. Regardless of whether you decide to drink or not, however, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that you may not be aware of. Some of these regulations may stem from Washington, DC, but there may also be some tax laws that are regulated on a state-by-state basis. In the state of Texas, you have the TABC law, or Texas alcoholic beverage control which governs a lot of this. Here is a little look into the TABC law and what it does for those who want to serve alcohol to their patrons.
You might be interested in knowing that there are dozens of counties in the state of Texas which are considered to be dry. In these counties, there is absolutely no alcohol that is served in public locations. This is just one example of where the TABC law comes into effect. Although it may seem a little bit confusing, there are regulations that may even allow certain dry counties to serve up to 4% alcohol to their patrons. Other counties may absolutely refuse the serving of alcohol to anyone in any form.
One of the beneficial things that the TABC law covers is the sale of alcohol to minors. Establishments which are caught selling alcohol to those under the age of 21 can face a number of different legal ramifications from their actions. Not only can they lose their liquor license altogether, they may actually be up for some jail time and certainly can be fined thousands of dollars for the infraction. Law enforcement officers regularly check to make sure that the businesses that are selling alcohol abide by these laws strictly.
Another confusing part about the TABC law is exactly what constitutes legal intoxication. Of course, there are state regulations which say when an individual is intoxicated but many people don't realize that the establishments that serve alcohol are legally responsible for individuals that they continue to serve alcohol, even after they are beyond the legal limit. You must also make sure that you have all of the necessary signs posted in your establishment in order to cover yourself under the law.
All of these things are meant to avoid injury for individuals because of drinking too much. Many individuals, however, that serve alcohol to their customers don't see it in this way.
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