LCBO Social Responsibility

AT THE LCBO, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO YOU

Selling liquor responsibly is a public trust the LCBO has taken very seriously since 1927. We consider social responsibility as important as our mandate to provide a high level of customer service and maximize dividends for the provincial government.

ENSURING ONLY THE RIGHT PEOPLE GET SERVED
Although we’re a retailer, there are some people we won’t serve: those who are underage, lack proper identification to prove their age, appear intoxicated or are suspected of shopping for those individuals.

Preventing sales to minors is a year-round responsibility LCBO employees take very seriously. Our Challenge and Refusal program helps ensure only the right people get served. In fiscal 2007-2008, LCBO store staff challenged more than 2 million people who appeared underage or intoxicated. Just over 134,000 were refused service – a nine per cent increase from last year and a new record. Of those refused, 83 per cent were for age-related reasons.

Under our year-round Check 25 program, potential customers who appear to be under 25 years of age are routinely asked for proof of age. This helps ensure that minors (those under 19 years of age) who look older than their years are not served.

SMAART TRAINING
Every LCBO employee serving the public takes part in the organization's award-winning Working SMAART (Strategies for Managing Age- and Alcohol-Related Troubles) program. It teaches staff about responsible service and related judgement calls, alcohol issues and how to identify potential problems and handle them tactfully.

Through seminars, instructional workbooks and videos, staff learn how to deal with customers who appear intoxicated or underage, second-party purchasers (those buying alcohol for someone who’s not legally entitled to purchase it) and difficult refusals at the checkout counter. A number of other Canadian and U.S. liquor boards use this LCBO training package.

LCBO’s Working SMAART Quick Check ID Guide shows the five forms of ID set out in Ontario’s Liquor Licence Act and makes it easier for LCBO staff and others to determine if someone has valid identification.

BYID CARDS
LCBO’s tamper-resistant Bring Your Identification (BYID) photo card, endorsed by the provincial government, proves that customers are of legal drinking age. To apply for a BYID card, applicants must be 19-35 years of age, supply a passport-size colour photo, photocopies of documents proving date of birth and name and a $20 fee. A guarantor must sign the back of the photo and all documentation and fill out a section of the application. Random checks help ensure applications and guarantors are valid.

Click here to view the application form online or visit any LCBO store for a copy. This card can be used to purchase beverage alcohol in all retail stores and licensed establishments in Ontario. Other prescribed forms of ID are a driver’s licence, passport, Canadian citizenship card, and Canadian Forces card.

PREVENTING IMPAIRED DRIVING
To help increase awareness of the consequences of drinking and driving and to encourage people to make the right choice, the LCBO undertakes high-profile, responsible-drinking advertising campaigns, directed at those most likely to be involved in impaired-driving crashes.

LCBO's 2007 social responsibility campaign – Embarrassed - asks audiences to consider why they wouldn't think twice about intervening to save a stranger from harm, but might hesitate to prevent someone they know from driving after drinking to avoid possible embarrassment.

Click here to view the TV commercial. Click here to listen to the radio commercials.

PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE DRINKING
Our commitment to social responsibility goes far beyond simply refusing service. It’s an important factor in every corporate decision we make. For example, we carry low-alcohol products and set minimum prices, since research shows that price affects consumption levels.

Social responsibility also involves encouraging responsible use of our products. We promote food matches for beer, wine and spirits and offer advice on responsible entertaining, including delicious Mocktail recipes. Our posters, advertising, Web site and other materials promote moderate consumption as part of a balanced lifestyle and remind consumers never to drink and drive.

To help increase awareness of the consequences of drinking and driving and to encourage people to make the right choice, the LCBO undertakes high-profile, responsible-drinking advertising campaigns, directed at those most likely to be involved in impaired-driving crashes.

Public service messages from many organizations also appear free-of-charge in LCBO stores. And our free consumer publication, FOOD & DRINK, also promotes responsible drinking and hosting, as does HOST – LCBO's guide for responsible entertaining, available here online.

LCBO: A SOUGHT-AFTER PARTNER
Over the years, the LCBO has partnered with numerous groups to promote social responsibility and raise awareness of important alcohol-related issues, such as drinking and driving and responsible personal consumption. Our partners have included: social and health agencies; social responsibility groups; community organizations; police agencies; educational agencies; beverage alcohol suppliers; the hospitality industry; and government.

Our network of 600 stores across Ontario makes us a sought-after partner when organizations want to raise public awareness and funds. Working with them enables the LCBO to distribute social responsibility information in a cost-effective way.

FUNDRAISING
As a caring organization, the LCBO helps many charitable groups every year through Donation Boxes at our store checkouts. If you are a provincial charitable organization and want to find out how to apply for the provincial Donation Box Program, click here. Or for information on the local level program, in January and July, click here.

When you add monies from our corporate United Way campaign and individual community fundraising events, often supported by suppliers, the LCBO raises more than $1 million for worthy causes each year.

SELLING ONLY SAFE, HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS
The LCBO’s Quality Assurance Laboratory ensures that safe, high-quality beverage alcohol products are made available to customers. The laboratory is ISO certified, which means it meets the highest international standards. All products sold by the LCBO are chemically tested to comply with both federal and provincial standards. In fiscal 2006-2007, our lab conducted over 434,000 tests on more than 18,519 products. Our Quality Assurance staff also reviewed almost 4,000 labels and close to 10,000 shipping cartons.

ILLEGAL ALCOHOL: NOT A VICTIMLESS CRIME
People who buy untested illegal alcohol are playing Russian roulette with their health. Seized products have been found to contain carcinogens, toxins and poisons. Bootleg alcohol is also accessible to those who should not have it - minors and intoxicated people - putting others at risk from drunk driving and other dangerous situations.

Ontario taxpayers also lose, as an important source of government revenue that could be spent on social and health programs goes instead to criminals. We estimate that smuggled liquor and illegally manufactured wine represented over $661 million – or more than seven per cent of the $9-billion Ontario beverage alcohol market – in fiscal 2006-2007.

A COMMUNITY-CENTRED RETAILER
So, as you can see, the LCBO really is a retailer with a difference. Every day, we strike the necessary balance between serving our customers, generating revenue for the province and protecting public health and safety - just what Ontarians expect from us.

For more information, contact the LCBO Social Responsibility Department at 416 864-6820. You can also call the LCBO’s bilingual Infoline at 1-800-ONT-LCBO (1-800-668-5226). In Metro Toronto, call 416 365-5900 or e-mail infoline@lcbo.com. The TTY numbers for the deaf and hearing impaired are 416 864-6898 or 1-800-361-3291.