The hospitality industry has a role to play in encouraging customers to drink alcoholic beverages wisely and moderately, and to avoid drinking and driving. Every licensee should have written policies in place for responsible service of alcohol, regardless of whether it’s required by provincial law.

A policy on service of alcohol should include everything from acceptable identification, to keeping an incident log, to intervention techniques if you suspect a patron has had too much to drink.

The best way to ensure that you and your staff members understand your rights, powers and obligations under the liquor license act – as well as the responsibilities and risks associated with alcohol consumption – is through formal training. See the chart below for more information.

Liquor licensing: provincial contacts
For information on liquor licensing in your province, contact the provincial authority listed below.

MADD Canada’s BAC charts
MADD's BAC charts educate staff and inform and reassure customers that they can still drink responsibly at restaurants across the province.

Liquor service training regulations across Canada
Regulations as of Jan. 15, 2009.