Updated November 8, 2026. This article covers ABC’s April 2022 Alcohol Awareness Month announcement. Requirements and sources were reviewed as of this update, and later changes are labeled as such. It is general information, not legal advice.
A sobering start to April 2022
Every April, public health groups and regulators use Alcohol Awareness Month to step back and look at how alcohol affects daily life. In 2022, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) opened the month with a number that was hard to ignore. In its April 1, 2022 announcement, ABC pointed to research published on March 18, 2022 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finding that deaths in the United States involving alcohol rose 25.5 percent between 2019 and 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the figures ABC cited from that JAMA report, there were 78,927 alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. in 2019 and 99,017 in 2020. Those totals included alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. Alcohol-related deaths made up 2.8 percent of all deaths in 2019 and three percent in 2020.
ABC described itself as the principal regulator of the sale, manufacture, and distribution of alcohol in California and said it would spend the month continuing to enforce alcoholic beverage laws and provide education, “recognizing there are serious health and public safety concerns surrounding alcohol, especially when it is misused.” Then-Director Eric Hirata summed up the message: “This month ABC encourages everyone to promote safety. Help prevent alcohol-related crashes on roads, and the abuse of alcohol.”
For people who pour, sell, and manage alcohol service, that April also carried a practical deadline. Only three months later, California’s mandatory Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training requirement would take effect. This article revisits what ABC said in April 2022, what the cited public health data meant for licensees, and how the RBS requirements it previewed work today.
The public health numbers ABC highlighted
ABC’s announcement drew on federal public health data to frame two problems that matter directly to anyone working behind a bar or a register.
Underage drinking
ABC called underage drinking “a significant public health problem in the U.S.” and cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which said excessive drinking is responsible for more than 3,500 deaths and 210,000 years of potential life lost among people under age 21 each year. CDC’s current underage drinking page puts the toll at about 4,000 deaths a year among people under 21, based on 2020 to 2021 data. The CDC’s underage drinking resources continue to describe alcohol as one of the most commonly used substances among young people in the United States.
That figure is a reminder that every ID check is part of a much larger effort. Retail clerks and servers are often the last people who can stop a minor from obtaining alcohol from a licensed business.
Impaired driving
ABC also cited CDC data showing that in 2016, 10,497 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for 28 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publishes updated national figures each year, and the same basic lesson holds: impaired driving remains one of the most preventable causes of death on American roads.
For licensees, impaired driving connects to service decisions made hours earlier. California law prohibits selling or furnishing alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person, and ABC’s enforcement programs regularly trace serious crashes back to where the alcohol was purchased or served.
The RBS requirement ABC previewed
The most consequential part of the April 2022 announcement for on-premises businesses was a short paragraph about training. ABC wrote that beginning July 1, 2022, any alcohol server and their manager who works at an ABC-licensed premises with on-sale privileges must be trained by an approved and accredited RBS training provider, have a valid RBS certification, and pass an online ABC-administered RBS exam within 60 calendar days from the first date of employment.
That requirement came from the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act, found in Business and Professions Code sections 25680 through 25686. ABC’s RBS program page explains how servers register on the RBS Portal, complete training with an approved provider, and take the exam.
Who counts as a server or manager
The law focuses on people whose work involves alcohol service at on-sale premises, such as bars, restaurants, and other businesses where alcohol is consumed on site. Under the statute, an alcohol server is someone who checks identification, takes orders, or pours, serves, or delivers alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. Managers who supervise those employees are covered too.
How the 60-day window works
New servers and managers have 60 calendar days from their first date of employment to complete training and pass the exam. That window is per person, so every new hire starts a new clock. Our guide to California’s 60-Day RBS Rule for New Hires walks through how that window works in practice and how managers can schedule training before it closes.
Certifications expire
RBS certifications are valid for three years. People who certified in the first wave in 2022 reached their first renewals in 2025, and the cycle continues for everyone after that. For a detailed look at renewal timing and reminders, see Renewing Your California RBS Certification.
What the RBS curriculum covers
The RBS statute sets out core topics that approved courses must teach. They include the effects of alcohol on the body, how to recognize signs of intoxication, methods for refusing service, how to check identification and spot false IDs, and the legal responsibilities that come with selling alcohol. Courses also cover the consequences of serving minors and obviously intoxicated people.
That list matches the concerns raised in ABC’s April 2022 announcement almost point for point. Underage drinking is addressed through ID checks. Impaired driving is addressed through recognizing intoxication and refusing further service. And the overall goal, reducing alcohol-related harm, is the reason the program exists.
Later change: In 2024, the Legislature passed AB 2402, which requires approved RBS courses to include drink-spiking prevention and response content by January 1, 2027. That requirement did not exist in April 2022. Our explainer on Drink Spiking and California RBS Training covers what it adds.
Help for off-sale businesses: LEAD training
ABC’s announcement also reminded off-sale licensees, such as liquor stores, markets, and convenience stores, and their employees that they could sign up for ABC’s voluntary Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) training free of charge. ABC said the training was available online and, for those who prefer it, in a classroom setting.
ABC’s LEAD training page describes the program as free and voluntary. It is aimed mainly at off-sale businesses and covers topics such as checking identification and preventing sales to minors and intoxicated customers. LEAD does not take the place of RBS certification for on-sale servers, who must still complete an approved RBS course and pass the ABC exam.
Putting Alcohol Awareness Month into practice
Awareness campaigns are most useful when they lead to small, concrete changes. Here are ways a licensed business can turn the themes of April 2022 into routines that last all year.
Make ID checks automatic
Set a clear house rule, such as checking ID for anyone who appears under a certain age, and apply it the same way every time. ABC’s model house policies include sample language businesses can adapt. Consistency protects staff because no one has to make a judgment call alone. For common pitfalls, see Checking IDs in California: Common Mistakes and How the FLAG Method Prevents Them.
Watch for intoxication early
It is easier to slow service than to stop it. Training staff to notice early signs, such as louder speech, clumsy movements, or rapid drinking, gives them time to offer food, water, or a slower pace before a refusal becomes necessary.
Support a sober ride home
ABC’s message about preventing alcohol-related crashes is one every venue can reinforce. Promote designated driver options, keep rideshare and taxi information handy, and make sure staff feel supported when they intervene. Our guide to responsible bar promotions includes ideas such as featured mocktails that give designated drivers a reason to stay.
How the 2022 message connects to enforcement
Alcohol Awareness Month is about education, but ABC’s announcement also said the department would continue enforcing alcoholic beverage laws during the month. ABC programs such as Minor Decoy and Shoulder Tap operations, described on ABC’s underage drinking enforcement page, test whether licensees sell to minors and whether adults will buy alcohol for them. When an underage drinker is involved in a serious crash, ABC’s Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies (TRACE) program investigates where the alcohol came from.
For a deeper look at how those investigations work, read ABC’s TRACE Program Explained. The cases it describes show why the training topics ABC highlighted in April 2022 matter long after the month ends.
Later Alcohol Awareness Months
ABC has continued to recognize Alcohol Awareness Month in later years, often with updated statistics and different points of emphasis. In 2025, for example, ABC used the month to spotlight its TRACE program. Because each year’s announcement reflects the data and priorities of that time, it is worth reading the current year’s message rather than relying on older figures. The 2022 numbers in this article are presented as ABC reported them at the time.
Frequently asked questions
When did California’s RBS training requirement start?
According to ABC, it began July 1, 2022 for alcohol servers and their managers at on-sale licensed premises.
How long do new servers have to get certified?
New servers and managers must complete approved training and pass ABC’s exam within 60 calendar days of their first date of employment.
Is LEAD training required?
No. ABC describes LEAD as free and voluntary. It is useful for off-sale businesses but does not replace RBS certification for on-sale servers.
The bottom line
ABC’s April 2022 Alcohol Awareness Month message combined sobering national data with a practical reminder: California’s mandatory RBS training was weeks away. The underlying goals, keeping alcohol away from minors and preventing impaired driving, have not changed. What has changed is that every on-premises server and manager in California now shares the same baseline training, and that training continues to evolve. Building steady habits around ID checks, intoxication, and safe rides home is the most reliable way to honor the spirit of the month all year long.
Get certified before your next shift
Every on-premises server and manager in California needs RBS certification. ServeTrain’s RBS course helps California servers and managers prepare for ABC’s exam. Before enrolling, register or log in to your RBS Portal account with ABC and confirm your chosen course appears in the portal’s training provider search.
Sources
- California ABC, April Is Alcohol Awareness Month (Apr. 1, 2022)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Underage Drinking
- NHTSA, Drunk Driving
- California Legislature, Business and Professions Code §§25680–25686 (RBS Training Program Act)
- California ABC, Responsible Beverage Service Training Program
- California ABC, LEAD Training
- California ABC, Model House Policies
- California ABC, Underage Drinking Enforcement
This article is general information, not legal advice.
