Do you know what a TAM card is? It’s the abbreviation for Techniques of Alcohol Management card to show that one has met the Nevada Alcohol Awareness Training requirement. Every person that works with alcohol in a business must have one. And as I’ve been asked a few times to teach about wine and spirits, one of my employers mentioned that I should study for my own.
This article is for those in the wine/spirits industry, or those interested in the industry, as I’m sharing some of the laws that I learned. I found the TAM course very interesting and appreciated gaining the knowledge. I also feel more comfortable knowing that those in the industry must pass this test and take it again as the TAM card expires every four years.
Some facts you may not know, and good reminders if you do:
- The term “Dram Shop Laws” applies to a business that sold alcohol to someone that later is involved a car accident. The business can be sued for damages as well as servers.
- Gaming establishments must restrict gaming to inebriated guests; they can also not give them free cocktails.
- There isn’t a law stating that you must check an ID, but if you have any doubts you should check.
- Birth Certificates are NOT acceptable as an ID.
- Learned a few interesting things about ID forgery. A driver’s license should have printing on the back, the laminate shouldn’t peel, and the font has to all match. Question the holder with facts that are on the card: address, date of birth, etc.
- A minor can be fined from $100 to $500 and be sentenced up to 6 months in jail for using a fake ID.
- There is no law stating you must confiscate a fake ID, however, the company you are working for may have set policies on it.
- If you sell alcohol to a minor, you are at risk of losing your job, being fined, and serving jail time.
- “Nevada has a law that states if an employee allows a minor to remain in a place that serves alcohol, the employee can be fined up to $1,000 and given jail time. And that establishment could possibly have their liquor license suspended or revoked.”
- Carbonation speeds up absorption in your system. Alcohol mixed with carbonated beverages such as cola or tonic water will be absorbed more.
- Caffeine is a stimulant which would make someone more awake but just as impaired.
- Sobering up: Healthy people metabolize alcohol at a fairly consistent rate. As a rule of thumb, a person will eliminate one average drink or .5 oz (15 ml) of alcohol per hour. chronic alcoholics may (depending on liver health) metabolize alcohol at a significantly higher rate than the average. Finally, the body’s ability to metabolize alcohol quickly tend to diminish with age.
- Turn someone on their side if they are vomiting.
- If someone’s drinking causes you to discontinue service: Talk to them away from other guests, ask them to leave and legally you must provide transportation – like a cab – so they get home safely since you can be held responsible. Ask for help from other staffers or call police if the guest refuses to leave.
- Write down the details of any incidents in your job’s log.
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Study for the test and take the exam here.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
