Zap Underage Drinking

What Is Zap?

• ZAP stands for Zero Adult Providers.
• ZAP's mission is to bring people in the community together to prevent underage drinking by changing the environment that facilitates its use.
• ZAP is a program with a goal of stopping adults from providing underage people with alcohol.
• The Saint Paul Police Department Vice Unit is teaming with the City Department of Safety & Inspections (DSI) to carry out "Compliance Checks" at bars, restaurants and liquor store.
• Underage buyers will attempt to make purchases of alcohol. The goal is to obtain 100% compliance at all of the supply locations.
• The Saint Paul Police Department has also teamed up with local colleges, universities and high schools to aggressively respond to complaints of underage consumption of alcohol at parties, as well as the problems associated with them, such as noise, indecent conduct, fights, sexual assaults, etc.
• The police department has committed to a zero-tolerance policy regarding the enforcement of underage alcohol consumption laws, as well as charging adult providers of alcohol.
• Both the Saint Paul City and County Attorney Offices have committed to aggressively prosecute all violators.
• The police department is also working closely with local colleges, universities and high schools to ensure they are made aware of incidents involving their students, so administrative actions may be taken. * Previous violations have resulted in actions up to, and including, suspension from athletic/extra curricular activities and expulsion.
• Newly enacted legislation carries felony status if an adult provides alcohol for an underage person who sustains alcohol related serious injury or death.
• ZAP activists believe that it's not enough to hold young people accountable for underage drinking. The adults who illegally provide alcohol to youth must also be held accountable and stopped. ZAP's goals are prevention through stronger deterrence and public awareness, coalition building, and finding a way for this effort to be sustained.
• The department has committed to zero-tolerance in regard to enforcement of laws to stop people from providing alcohol. Curtailing alcohol consumption by those underage revelers will help prevent death or injury to this age group.
• ZAP is a partnership of the Department of Justice, MN Department of Public Safety, Saint Paul Police Department, MADD, Ramsey County Judiciary, County Attorney, County Board, Sheriff's Department, and the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches.