The latest round of fines levied by the Harford County Liquor Control Board in cases in which alcohol was served to people too young in the eyes of the law to drink indicates there's still a bit too much leniency in such cases.
In the recent spate of cases to come before the board for hearings, fines for the culpable were in the $500 to $2,000 range, which, though not insubstantial, are certainly not economically debilitating to a business licensed to sell alcohol.
As usual, there is some wiggle room for the folks found to be in violation. In one case, it became clear a teen was using a bogus identification card as proof of age. What's a cashier to do when presented with a seemingly legal sale situation? The easy answer is when in doubt, don't serve. And in many of these cases, there's plenty of reason to be in doubt.
Teens have long been notorious for trying to get around liquor laws like squirrels feeding at squirrel-proof bird feeders, but those licensed to sell alcohol must be similarly ever-vigilant. And the liquor board must take the lead in encouraging this. Stiff penalties may not always be the way to go, but, then again, the board has few other enforcement tools when it comes to trying to elicit vigilance on the part of those entrusted with liquor licenses.