Johnston County ABC Officers Participate In Statewide Underage Alcohol Crackdown

SMITHFIELD, N.C. — Johnston County ABC officers joined law enforcement agencies across North Carolina in a month-long crackdown on underage alcohol sales and possession during April.

The statewide “B21” enforcement campaign, coordinated by the North Carolina ABC Officers Association, focused on preventing underage access to alcohol through undercover compliance checks and special enforcement operations.

According to the association, ABC officers statewide checked 344 businesses during April and submitted 65 civil violations to the North Carolina ABC Commission for alleged alcohol sales violations involving underage purchasers.

The operations included supervised underage buyers ages 16 to 19 who attempted to purchase alcohol while using their real driver’s licenses if identification was requested.

Officials said violations occurred when store clerks failed to request identification or failed to properly examine IDs before completing sales.

Johnston County ABC officers participated alongside agencies from 11 other counties and municipalities across the state, including Wake, Wilson, Cumberland, Mecklenburg and New Hanover counties.

In addition to the compliance checks, ABC officers conducted other enforcement operations targeting underage drinking and related crimes.

Statewide totals for April included:

152 underage possession citations
48 fake IDs seized
11 drug violations
Two firearms seized
Four vape shop search warrants executed
276 total charges filed

The association said criminal citations were issued in each illegal alcohol sale unless the sales clerk involved was a juvenile.

Officials said the campaign coincided with students returning to schools, colleges and universities following spring break and was intended to encourage responsible alcohol sales and reduce youth access to alcohol.

“We encourage parents to talk to their children about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse,” the North Carolina ABC Officers Association said in a statement. “The effects of underage alcohol use can negatively impact youth for years to come.”

The organization noted the statistics released do not include enforcement actions conducted separately by North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, commonly known as ALE.

Participating agencies included the Johnston County ABC Board, Wake County ABC Board, Wilson County ABC Board, Cumberland County ABC Board and Chapel Hill Police ABC, among others.