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Curbing underage drinking before prom/graduation

Posted at 12:28 PM, May 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-12 10:25:09-04

With prom and graduation season just weeks away, New York state is making a statement.

"The message is very simple and very straight forward," New York State Liquor Authority Deputy Commissioner David Edmunds said. "Underage drinking in New York state is illegal and it will not be tolerated."

The campaign is called "No Excuses" and is a collaboration between the Liquor Authority, local police and Western New York liquor stores.

Those stores will display signs targeting underage customers, and warning them about the consequences of getting caught. 

David LiSacchi, Owner of Midnight Liquors in Tonawanda, says he's heard every excuse in the book.

"I left my ID in my other jeans.... I left my ID in the car. Can I use my student ID? I've been here before, haven't you noticed me? Those are just excuses we cannot accept," he explained.

Officials say the campaign targets those who are underage, but says parents can often be part of the problem.

"These parents think they're doing the right thing," Captain Ed Baker from West Seneca Police said. "[They think] if I'm there to control the party, everything is going to be okay.  But in a lot of cases that's not the way it ends up."