New bill requires bartenders to receive training to help reduce drunk driving accidents

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Walk into any bar at any hour, and you are bound to see someone drinking. But a new California bill could stop how much alcohol that person consumes.

On Sunday, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 12-21 into law. It will require bartenders and servers to receive training on how to responsibly sale and serve alcoholic beverages.

The bill states the course will focus on the social impact of alcohol and its impact on the body.

Something Jeff Widmann thinks bartenders should not have to do.

"We need to check ourselves it's our responsibility. I don't think it's the bartender's responsibility. It's just completely arbitrary," said Widmann.

However, Steffine Rendino, who bartends at Lucy's lounge in the Tower District believes it is a good move.

"Yes you want to know when to cut them off and it's important. We don't know if these people are driving," said Rendino.

So far this year, the City of Visalia has arrested more than 300 people for drunk driving. In Fresno--1,120 DUI arrests have been made.

These are stats the bartending college of Fresno keeps in mind when teaching students.

"We stress that in our training that we do. Signs to look for in a person who has had too much to drink it's one of the questions that we have on our test and that can be slurring your words falling asleep at the bar vomiting," said Matt Russell.

Under the law, alcohol beverage control is required to develop the training program by January of 2020.

In a statement, the agency says quote "ABC is hopeful the new law will boost compliance with alcoholic beverage laws. The department will continue to provide its' Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training through its Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) program between now and when the law takes effect."