Joint Efforts on Youth Access Alcohol Prevention in La Crosse Come To Completion through Successful Respect 21™ Program

MillerCoors, in partnership with Hellman Distributors, local retailers and local law enforcement, announced today the results of the Respect 21™ Responsible Retailing program in La Crosse. Developed to raise community awareness and improve retailer practices on preventing underage access to alcohol, the program recently concluded after a six-month run.
With positive overall results, including a 7.2 percent improvement made by participating retailers in their age verification practices, measurements also indicated that there are opportunities for further growth in consistency of ID checking before selling alcohol. Retailers will be able to review their results and implement continual improvement by utilizing the tools and resources also provided through the Respect 21 program.

In 2008, recognizing the opportunity to increase retailer efforts to prevent underage sales of alcohol, La Crosse Police Chief Ed Kondracki suggested launching Respect 21 in the community. In response, MillerCoors, Hellman Distributors and the La Crosse Tavern League initiated the program earlier this year, rolling it out to 50 retailer participants. These businesses received tools and assistance through point-of sale materials, confidential legal-age mystery shopper inspections and training materials designed to prevent alcohol sales to minors.

“It takes this kind of public-private partnership to solve the ongoing challenges La Crosse was facing,” said Dan Hellman of Hellman Distributors. “With the support of the La Crosse Police Department and La Crosse County Tavern League, we launched this campaign to assist local retailers to be proactive in curtailing underage drinking.”

As retailers utilize the training materials and program results they gained from participating in Respect 21, plans are also underway to continue supporting responsible retailing efforts in the future.

“At MillerCoors, we believe with great beer, comes great responsibility. We never want our products to be used by those who are underage, so providing communication, education and resources is paramount for our company and our distributors,” said Diane Wagner, manager of alcohol responsibility for MillerCoors. “Respect 21 gives us the opportunity to bring a program that has proven success to retailers who are on the front line of prevention.”

Developed by Brandeis University and the National Responsible Retailing Forum in partnership with MillerCoors, Respect 21 includes government-recognized best practices on responsible retailing to prevent the sale of alcohol to anyone under 21. Retailers enrolled in the program typically include bars, restaurants and convenience stores. Initially piloted in 2006, the program has since expanded to encompass 15 communities, with positive improvements recorded in 100 percent of those areas.

About MillerCoors
Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MillerCoors brews full-calorie beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also imports Peroni, Pilsner Urquell and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks. MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel’s craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI and two microbreweries, the Leinenkugel’s 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors vision is to become the best beer company in America by driving profitable industry growth. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.