A one day training course teaching bartenders to spot the signs of intoxication early, could end up saving lives.

A spokesperson from CADA: Encouraging Responsible Alcohol Behaviour, said: "I would say that the training programme is one of the pieces to the puzzle to ending drinking and driving. The other piece is roadside sobriety checkpoints and public late night transport.

"We cannot tell people not to drink and drive unless these measures are available."

According to the spokesperson, in the next few months it will be made mandatory for every licensed establishment to have a portion of their staff (one manager and two employees) certified in CADA'S Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) programme.

This year 171 bartenders, servers, owners and managers from 64 licensed establishments took part in TIPS, including Elbow Beach bartender George Courtney Jr. According to Mr. Courtney, the course has taught him how to better deal with unruly customers. In fact, just two weeks ago he used his new skills to persuade a lady to put an end to her drinking for the night. He said: "She wanted her credit card bill but she couldn't even see what it said."

"It does happen every now and again because some people don't know when to stop. They go overboard, especially the people that have the money."

CADA'S programme, which involves interactive videos, group discussions and role play exercises, teaches participants how to identify signs of intoxication like loss of coordination and judgement and how to spot underage drinkers who often appear nervous or order unusual drinks. Once a person takes the course and passes an exam they are certified for three years across the globe and are able to handle alcohol-related situations with greater confidence and skill, a press release stated.

CADA chairman Anthony Santucci said: "We are happy with the number of establishments that have participated in the training so far. We see them as partners as we work together to raise awareness of how to deal with alcohol related tragedies."

Anyone interested in finding out more on the TIPS programme is encouraged to call 295-5982.