Although the compliance rate for Coles County has risen over the past year, Charleston still has bars that serve minors.

Marie O’Brien, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission’s director of the Under 21 Program, said Coles County now has a 62 percent compliance rate, compared to the 43 percent rate seen from 1998 to 2001.

O’Brien said the current rate is in line with other college towns, but Charleston Mayor Dan Cougill said hearings were being held Thursday for six bars in which a minor was able to purchase alcohol.

“(It) disturbs me greatly,” he said.

As of Jan. 1, minors caught in possession of alcohol can have their drivers licenses suspended for one year.

Although the law does not have a direct affect on Project 21, the state initiative to curb underage drinking should scare minors.

“It gives a little more bite to Project 21,” said Bill Emery, safety education officer for the Illinois state police.

The law was initiated by the licensed beverage association, who found when they surveyed college students their biggest fear was losing their license, Cougill said.

City procedures will not be changed by the law, except that by law, Cougill has to notify the Secretary of State when a minor is convicted.

Underage drinking is a difficult issue to address, Cougill said. If underage students are drinking, but not creating a disturbance, they will not be caught since police do not stop unless there is a disturbance.

“It’s behavior we’re addressing,” he said.

Because of this, it is hard to say whether or not the new law will curb underage drinking. If a student wants to drink, they might use a fake ID or get a friend to buy alcohol for them.

“It’s a hard yes or no answer,” Cougill said.

In addition, underage drinking entails multiple problems, both with the establishment that sells to a minor and the minor consuming it.

However, the county’s compliance rate continues to improve since Project 21 was established.

The compliance rate is figured when checks are performed, O’Brien said. If police check 10 bars, and five are found to be serving minors and five are not, the compliance rate is 50 percent.

The current 62 percent rate for Coles County indicates that an average of just over six out of 10 establishments are not serving minors.