Rising Demand for Young Bartenders Sparks State Legislation

Several states in the United States are considering or have already passed bills to lower the minimum age for serving alcohol, as the restaurant industry faces challenges in hiring workers. However, labor experts warn that this rollback of child labor protection laws puts teenagers at risk of sexual harassment, underage drinking, and other harms. The restaurant industry already has the highest number of child labor law violations. Efforts to loosen child labor protections have been seen in multiple states in recent years, leading to an increase in child labor violations.