‘I can’t believe we’re having this conversation’: the states pushing for 14-year-olds to serve alcohol

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Proposal to Lower the Alcohol Service Age

In the small town of Freedom, Wisconsin, Buzz’s Pub and Grill – a local sports bar whose logo features frothing beer mugs in the colors of the American flag – has been short-staffed since the pandemic. Jeff Baker, the owner, says he “could use one more bartender, and probably two more cooks”. He hasn’t found takers in over a year of running “help wanted” ads, so he’s made do by working extra shifts in the kitchen and paring back the menu.

Lowering the Alcohol Service Age in Wisconsin

Baker could soon get more job applicants thanks to a new proposal that would lower Wisconsin’s minimum age for alcohol service to just 14 years old. It would “absolutely” be a welcome change if children applied, he says. “Not as many kids work as much as they used to. Back in our day, more kids were needed, and more parents made their kids work.”

Rolling Back Alcohol Service Age Laws in Republican-Led States

Wisconsin is just one of a growing number of states where predominantly Republican lawmakers are making quiet moves to roll back the alcohol service age, so that kids who can’t legally buy alcohol – or in Wisconsin’s case, even drive a car – would be allowed to serve hard drinks to customers at bars and restaurants. In addition to alleviating the labor shortage, lawmakers behind the bills argue letting kids serve alcohol would give them valuable work experience.

Concerns and Opposition

That’s left some opponents of the bills at a loss for words. “It’s bizarre. I can’t believe that we’re even having this conversation,” says Ryan Clancy, a Democratic state legislator who represents parts of Milwaukee, where he also owns an entertainment center that serves alcohol. He’s seen how drunk customers can harass workers, and “the idea that we would expose Wisconsin’s children to harassment through this is just unconscionable. It’s not only an erosion of labor, but our willingness to protect our kids.”

Child Labor Laws and the Minimum Age for Alcohol Service

Until recently, every US state required a worker serving alcohol in a bar or restaurant to be at least 18 to 21. These minimums in part reflect the legacy of the movement to end child labor in the 20th century, says Betsy Wood, a historian of child labor at Bard Early College.

Increasing Number of States Lowering the Alcohol Service Age

But according to a report published last week by the Economic Policy Institute, at least seven states have enacted laws to lower their alcohol service age since 2021, including West Virginia and Iowa, which lowered the minimum age to 16, and Michigan, which lowered it to 17. The bills are backed by restaurant lobbying groups as part of a broader effort to loosen child labor laws “to cut labor costs and deregulate employment”, the report writes – at a time when child labor violations are on the rise across the country.

Impact on Workers and Sexual Harassment

Most bartenders and restaurant servers in the US are female, and research has found that the vast majority of female servers have experienced on-the-job sexual harassment, at rates higher than nearly any other industry. The danger is even higher when workers aren’t paid a living wage.

Sub-Minimum Wages and Vulnerability

A 2014 study by the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, a labor advocacy organization, found that servers experience significantly more sexual harassment in states where they can be legally paid less than the minimum wage and expected to make up the difference with tips – “creating an environment in which a majority female workforce must please and curry favor with customers to learn a living”, the report said. “Depending on customers’ tips for wages discourages workers who might otherwise stand up for their rights and report unwanted sexual behaviors.”

Guardrails and Supporters’ Arguments

But the bills’ supporters say there’s nothing to worry about. Each proposed bill is different, some say children can only serve drinks but not make them, some say they may only do so at venues that also serve food and others demand they be supervised by someone over 18.

Opposition and Concerns

Throw teenage girls into that mix, and the risk for abuse becomes clear, says Wood, the child labor historian. “The double whammy of sub-minimum wages and sexual harassment is already challenging for adults to navigate, much less children who are uniquely vulnerable.”

Restaurant Industry Groups and Labor Laws

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the driving force behind these bills are restaurant industry groups, like the National Restaurant Association and its state affiliates, “that benefit from child labor in the food and beverage and restaurant industries”. Their goal, the report argues, is to avoid raising wages and improving working conditions, and to fix a temporary problem – the labor shortage – “with permanent changes to labor laws that allow employers to replace adult workers with lower-paid youth in increasingly dangerous jobs”.

Missed Opportunities to Address Root Causes of Labor Shortage

Clancy, the Milwaukee state representative, sees the bills as a “weird game of one-upmanship in terms of how horrific the state Republicans can be”. But they also represent missed opportunities to do the things that could actually fix the labor shortage’s root causes.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
• SDG 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• SDG 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 1.2: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line.
• Indicator for SDG 5.1: Proportion of women subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace.
• Indicator for SDG 8.5: Unemployment rate by age, sex, and disability.
• Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of people who feel safe walking alone around the area they live.
• Indicator for SDG 16.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: theguardian.com

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.