A server has reason to believe that a group of adult patrons regularly 'shoulder taps' minors outside their establishment, providing them with alcohol purchased inside. What is the ethical and legal obligation of the server and the licensee in this situation?

Question: A server has reason to believe that a group of adult patrons regularly 'shoulder taps' minors outside their establishment, providing them with alcohol purchased inside. What is the ethical and legal obligation of the server and the licensee in this situation?

Answer options:

• Monitor the situation but only act if a minor is observed consuming alcohol on the premises.
• Issue a warning to the adult patrons that such activity is illegal and they will be refused service if it continues.
• Refuse service to the adult patrons suspected of purchasing for minors and document the incident thoroughly. ✅ Alert local law enforcement immediately with details of the suspected activity, as this constitutes illegal activity.

Correct answer: Alert local law enforcement immediately with details of the suspected activity, as this constitutes illegal activity.

Explanation: Shoulder tapping, or providing alcohol to minors, is a serious offense under the AGLC Act. If there is reasonable belief that patrons are engaging in such activity off-premises with alcohol purchased from the establishment, the ethical and legal obligation extends to alerting law enforcement. While refusing service to the adults is also appropriate and should be done, informing police addresses the illegal activity more directly and helps prevent harm to minors. Waiting for consumption on-premises or merely warning is insufficient given the severity of the suspected crime.