SAN DIEGO - While people around the county are ringing in the New Year with a toast, officers have growing concerns many of those revelers won't be old enough to drink legally.
"We're seeing more and more -- just recently in some establishments -- that aren't obeying the ABC rules and allowing people who shouldn't be drinking in the drinking area," says National City Police Chief Adolfo Gonzales.
Gonzales says some of the problems are coming from restaurants and clubs who are appealing to patrons 18-years-old and up. He says mixing underage party goers with people who are drinking is resulting in more underage drinkers getting access to alcohol.
One local woman says her underage friends have no trouble getting into the clubs even when they show their ID that clearly demonstrates they are not 21 years-old. "They looked at it and gave her a 21-plus stamp, so she just walked right in and up to the bar."
The woman says she not only worries about underage drinkers getting behind the wheel after going to the clubs but also what can happen to them in an adult environment. "Seeing the heavily intoxicated people and then her being in that area, it's scary to see how easy it would be for someone to take advantage of her."
The club managers we spoke with say they use either wristbands or stamps to help identify who can drink and say they have separate areas for the different age groups, but the Chief says they are finding many of the clubs are having a difficult time making sure the groups don't mix and mingle, and underage drinkers are not being served.
