NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Bartenders certainly see a lot. Which means they need to know far more than just how to craft the perfect cocktail. When it comes to safety in bars, new legislation requires bartenders to have more training than ever before.
The director of Tennessee's Alcohol and Beverage Control Russell Thomas said training will roll out with updated certification courses.
"The legislature was looking at ways to strengthen alcohol safety initiatives across the state," said Thomas. "Last year the state legislature expanded the program. They expanded it to include training on preventing sexual assaults and recognizing signs of human trafficking."
Tennessee lawmakers voted to increase how often bartenders must complete training from five years to two years starting in 2025. Bartenders will also learn ways to intervene during an incident as a bystander.
"If you have a current permit, that will carry forward until the natural expiration but for those that are coming up on the expiration on their permits or applying for new permits, this law will require them to be trained," said Thomas.
Lorraine McGuire with the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville helped write the bill. McGuire said the increase in training will also help track and deter incidents.
"One of our hopes with this bill is how to better tracksafe bar, and this legislation is how many people are ordering angel shots, and in safe bar, how many people are requesting these drug detection cards," said McGuire. "One thing about prevention is you don't always know if you prevented something."
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This story by Aaron Cantrell reminds me of my first school in Dyersburg, TN. I was a student at Bruce School from Kindergarten to second grade until the school system was integrated. My parents graduated from this K-12 school in 1960 in one of the city's African American communities. After sitting empty for several years, part of the school was demolished while the rest was renovated and now serves as a community center for the Bruce community in Dyersburg. A local pastor is now trying to do something similar in the Cemetery community in Rutherford Co.
-Lelan Statom
