SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - State officials say Utah restaurants fared much better last year during covert visits by underage drinkers.
Lt. Troy Marx of the Utah Bureau of Investigation's alcohol enforcement team says restaurants sold to minors of 16% of these visits in 2013. That's down significantly from 29% the year before.
Marx attributes the decline to the addition of four agents assigned to restaurants and a renewed focus on the issue. State officials sent out a letter to every restaurant in the state that sells alcohol as the start of last year letting them know they would be doing more than checkups.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Utah's declined rate is still higher than the national average of 12%.