Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018 - 12

tens of thousands of people. Also, since a large
number of these cities and towns aren't typically
in the alcohol business, rules and regulations may
be hard to understand. In an attempt to create
clarity and ensure a fair and level playing field
with all the entities and stakeholders involved,
the ABD felt it best to start this initiative. Because
RAGBRAI is such a unique event in that it travels
across the entire state, it gave the ABD a great
opportunity to educate a lot of different
people.
The overall goal of I-PACT is increased voluntary compliance with the state's alcohol laws
through education and enforcement. The core
objective of the program is to prevent illegal sales
of alcohol by educating alcohol sellers and
increasing awareness of changes in Iowa's liquor
laws.
Underage drinking, alcohol sales to intoxicated
persons, and other violations are an ongoing concern, and the ABD is committed to spreading
awareness throughout Iowa. Although I-PACT was
initially intended for alcohol vendors, the course
is free of charge and open to anyone who wants
to enroll. Participants can
learn about the latest
design elements of Iowa
driving licenses and how
to spot a fake ID. The
course covers the
Alcoholic Beverage
Control Act (Iowa Code
chapter 123). Participants also learn how to deal
with unruly patrons, when and how to confiscate
a fake ID and how to deny sale to someone without provoking a conflict. You can sign up online
at i-pact.com or the ABD website (abd.iowa.gov).
Jake Holmes says that the program is vital to
the state. He cites Iowa's ABC Act and the need
to "protect the welfare, health, peace, morals and
safety of the people."
Increased awareness of the law, and the affects
of alcohol consumption, will help reduce
instances of drunk driving and other dangerous
or criminal activities. It's also critical, Holmes
notes, to ensure that vendors are sufficiently
trained to meet health and safety standards.
The RAGBRAI program helps keep the community safe and healthy. It also works to shape
and sustain, in Holmes' words, "fair business
operations," with respect to federal and state
guidelines regarding the dynamics between
wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers. The

program also serves to create clarity regarding
the rules and regulations, and get as many people
educated about the law as possible. The end goal
is to have licensees/permittees in compliance with
the law, to ensure a fair and level playing field
among all entities, and protect the health and
safety of Iowans (in this case the tens of thousands of riders on RAGBRAI).
Although Holmes and his division have been
quite successful, they face significant challenges.
The most daunting is "the seemingly endless
amount of business models or complex scenarios
that come up . . .there are also new licensees/
permittees constantly coming into the market
that may have little to no knowledge of the law."
Despite these obstacles, Holmes is confident
that, after his team meets with alcohol vendors,
they better understand-and make an earnest
effort to be compliant with-the law.
In speaking with Holmes, it seems that the
ABD has a monumental task. With an event such
as RAGBRAI, for instance, they have a handful of
teams-Education, Compliance, Licensing,
Investigation-that meet with individuals from a

The core objective of the program is to prevent illegal
sales of alcohol by educating alcohol sellers and
increasing awareness of changes in Iowa's liquor laws.

IOWA SPIRITS

wide variety of groups, including state and local
law enforcement, wholesalers, industry manufacturers (wineries, breweries, distilleries), retailers
and representatives of the towns through which
the race passes.
"The biggest obstacles with this project,"
Holmes reports, "are the time, effort and
resources needed to complete this initiative
because it truly is statewide and the route
changes every year."
Somehow, despite these challenges, the ABD
has done a great job.
When asked about the program's goals for
2018, Holmes is quite clear. He wants to educate
as many people as possible about Iowa's alcohol
regulations, make sure all the relevant parties are
in compliance, and "ensure that we are helping
to protect the welfare, health, peace, morals and
safety of the people."
If the last two years are any indication, they
will most definitely achieve these goals.

Jake Holmes on goals for
2018: "To ensure that we
are helping to protect the
welfare, health, peace,
morals and safety of the
people."

http://www.i-pact.com http://abd.iowa.gov

Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018