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Be Vigilant, Be Victorious
Continuing Coverage on Drug-Related Issues
By Robert Smith
Are drugs being used in your bar? No? Are you sure? Not in your bathroom by patrons? Not in your parking lot? Not in the kitchen by staff? What about your employees? Are they using drugs to keep going? What about that great server who has been pulling a few doubles while going through college finals? Or that skinny bartender who never seems to eat and can drink all night with the big boys? Are you worried now? The answer to all of these questions: Yes, to some degree.
Policy Equals Protection
How do you really know if drugs are present at your place? I mean, how do you really know?
Well, take it easy, you don’t really need to know at all. What you need to know is how to present a policy that spells out exactly what you, as an owner or manager expects of your employees and the ever-so-important customer. This policy does not have to be a novel, but instead, a few simple pages covering your stance.
Here is an example of a solid drug policy for you to use, if you want. Oh, and by the way, having a strong policy that can be adhered to can really help you if you are ever put under the microscope for issues found in the Federal Rave Act. Here we go, and remember, a longer and stronger policy is much better than a shorter, weaker one.
- Illegal drug possession or use while employed at Joe’s Bar will not be tolerated and may result in disciplinary action or termination.
- Illegal drug possession or use by any patron of Joe’s Bar will not be tolerated and may result in the immediate removal from the premise and possible permanent banning from Joe’s Bar.
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If any illegal drug possession or use by a patron is observed or suspected by any employee, that employee must report the possible drug use to management immediately.
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Management will have the total discretion as to whether the suspected patron is allowed to remain on the premise.
- It should be remembered that if management suspects drug use and/or sales and does not act, they open up their venue’s liquor license to possible scrutiny by law enforcement officials.
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If any employee feels they may have an addiction problem, they
should approach management immediately for assistance towards treatment. Employees who approach management with a possible addiction problem will be screened on a case by case basis for future employment.
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If an employee discovers or finds any drug on the premise or finds a material that they suspect is a narcotic, they will immediately take possession of the package and inform management. Management will have the following two options on how to handle this.
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Once management is notified they will, along with the employee who found the substance, proceed to a restroom and flush the suspected material down the toilet. At no time will any employee or manager complete this action alone. This team of two helps alleviate any possibility of the substance being kept by a single employee and lessens the appearance of impropriety.
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At no time will the substance be placed in an employee’s pocket or in a safe to be disposed of at a later time. Even if the venue is busy, this procedure must be followed immediately.
- Management may call local authorities to come and take custody of the substance. Authorities call these calls “found narcotics calls,” and they are very common. If this option is selected, the two employees will place the substance in the venue safe until the authorities arrive to take custody of the substance or until closing, when –– again –– two employees will dispose of the substance in the toilet. Two people is key here.
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Whatever option is selected, the manager must make either a logbook or incident log entry to document what was done.
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 Robert Smith is president of Hospitality and Security Alliance Inc. and a 15-year veteran police detective. His company has trained more than 3,500 hospitality employees. For more information, visit www.handsalliance.com.
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