Underage Drinking Laws

Parents catering to their kids have been dealt another blow with the growing push to enact Social Drinking laws across the U.S. The law has been passed in 32 states already. More are working on the legislation for their own version of the law.

The Social Drinking Laws are being enacted by states in an attempt to close yet another avenue for minors to obtain alcohol. Lawmakers once thought they curbed the problem with the strict enforcement of the underage purchase and drunk driving laws. To their amazement however, the parents of the drinking children soon became the biggest enemy.

Every parent who has been busted under the new laws has the cry the same refrain. "The kids are going to drink anyway. I just wanted to make sure they were safe while they were doing it." The parent also cites the prevention of drunk driving as another reason for their supervised drinking parties. "If there is a parent there to take the kids home after the party, then the number of drunk teens on the street goes down. Right?" Wrong.

Researchers at the Marin Institute say that this reasoning overlooks the other hazards of underage drinking: "binge drinking, violence, sexual assault, rape, and alcohol poisoning", all of which still happen at the so-called "supervised parties". The parents of the underage drinkers are simply giving the teen a safe place to destroy his or herself.

The Social Drinking Laws put an end to the supervised drinking. If an adult (it doesn't have to be the parent) hosts a gathering where booze is supplied, and, as a result, an accident or other crime is committed, that adult is then liable for the offending child's actions. Some cities have not stopped there. Teen Party Ordinances have been enacted, making the adult host of a party at which alcohol is served liable, even if there has been no criminal act committed by one of the drunken partygoers. The adult doesn't even have to be present. With either law, a parent or adult contributing to the drinking of a minor will be fined and or given jail time even if they weren't at the party.

Today, the offending parents are quieter in their admonition that teens will drink despite the many consequences. To them, lawmakers and strict parents are saying "Yes, they may, but allowing them to do so is sending the message that we condone that act. That is much worse."