To-Go Cocktails Making It Harder to Enforce Underage Drinking Laws

Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. By Jenni Bergal During the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of states have given a boost to struggling restaurants by allowing them to sell cocktails to-go, through takeout, curbside pickup, or home delivery. But the expansion of alcohol to-go laws has placed a heavy burden on understaffed alcohol enforcement agencies, which have been hard-pressed to prevent underage drinking.

Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. By Jenni Bergal During the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of states have given a boost to struggling restaurants by allowing them to sell cocktails to-go, through takeout, curbside pickup, or home delivery. But the expansion of alcohol to-go laws has placed a heavy burden on understaffed alcohol enforcement agencies, which have been hard-pressed to prevent underage drinking.…