TIPS Alcohol Training Program Pre-Approved by the Montana Liquor Control Division

ARLINGTON, Va., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to enhance the cooperation between local law enforcement and alcohol retailers, the Montana Liquor Control Division was expecting to roll out a reduced mitigation regulation for alcohol retailers in Montana. The new regulation was expected to be announced sometime this spring; however, citing stiff opposition, the state Revenue Department rejected the proposal on March 25, 2010. According to the Billings Gazette, Revenue Director Dan Bucks received a large number of persuasive widespread opposition to the proposal. The primary concern was the idea of participating establishments receiving reduced fines or shortened suspensions in the event of a covered violation.

TIPS (Training for Interventions ProcedureS) was recently pre-approved by the Liquor Control Division for both its classroom and online alcohol server and seller training programs. "Training offers a great way for law enforcement and retailers to work together to solve the issues surrounding the misuse of alcohol. I applaud the efforts of the Liquor Control Division and hope that more discussion can lead to some more common ground on this issue. While mitigation is a nice enticement, you shouldn't need a regulation to do what is right," said Adam Chafetz, President & CEO of Health Communications, Inc. (providers of the TIPS Program). "Over 9000 individuals have been TIPS-certified in Montana without any regulation," Adam added. TIPS will be offering a Train-the-Trainer Workshop in Billings on April 26-27, 2010. For more information, you can visit http://www.gettips.com.

John Blair, Owner of the Reno Club in Billings and President of the Yellowstone County Tavern Association, has experienced TIPS firsthand. He says, "I was pleased to learn that the Montana Liquor Control Division had pre-approved TIPS as a provider for its new program, but was disappointed to learn that the proposal was rejected. As a 12-year TIPS trainer, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact that a quality server-training program has on a community. The Yellowstone County Tavern Association, along with TIPS, has been raising awareness for years and we have been credited for decreasing DUIs as a result of our efforts. The proposed regulation would have only enhanced our efforts to make Montana a better and safer place to live."

About Health Communications, Inc.

Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) was founded in 1982 by Dr. Morris Chafetz, founding director of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, HCI is a nationally recognized expert in the field of alcohol server training. Its flagship program, TIPS, was the first of its kind and continues to set industry standards for this type of training. Numerous public officials and government agencies have recognized and endorsed TIPS training as life-saving and critical to the progress made in reducing alcohol-related injuries and deaths.

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SOURCE Health Communications, Inc.