Underage Alcohol Prevention and Programs

There are many people in this world that are trying to do many things to help with the fight against underage drinking. There are many programs out in our society that may help this us turn the fight against underage drinking and there are some prevention steps that parents are able to take and help their children with this issue. As I mentioned before Alcohol is a major public health problem and is becoming more of an epidemic. Alcohol is the mostly commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States more than any other illicit drugs and tobacco (http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm). Underage drinkers consume more drinks than adult drinkers on average (http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm).

 In order to help in reducing underage drinking it’s going to take a lot of effort from different places. Reducing the underage drinking statics is going to require community based efforts to help in monitoring the activities of youth and decrease youth access to alcohol (http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm). There have been many suggestions from the Surgeon General and the Institute of Medicine which have suggested actions on national, state, and local levels which would permit the enforcement of minimum legal drinking age laws, national media campaigns targeting youth and adults, increasing alcohol excise taxes, reducing youth exposure to alcohol advertising, and the development of comprehensive community-based programs (http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm).  Completing all these tasks that our researchers and study suggests is not going to make all the problems of underage drinking go away, but in fact it may help reduce our numbers or even prevent it in the long run.

Underage drinking promotes hype and exaggeration which actually is an important part of the problem (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/UnderageDrinking.html). Promoting the problem may make part of an impact on our society, but only in a positive way showing it through statistics or issues dealing this matter. If it shown in a negative way through drinking statistics or other issues dealing with this matter it may have a negative impact on drinking behaviors by contributing to a "reign of error” to others that might be looking at these issues (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/UnderageDrinking.html). Making a big deal on the amount of alcohol abuse around tends to create a self-fulfilling prophesy. The more youth believe heavy drinking is occurring, the more heavily they tend to drink in order to keep up with their peers to try and fit in (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/UnderageDrinking.html). The suggestion is that research has demonstrated that reducing misperceptions of alcohol abuse is an effective way to reduce actual abuse among adolescents (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/UnderageDrinking.html).  Being able to reduce the statistics of underage drinking is going to help us as a society beable to help our youth. The number one goal of society is safety and having underage drinking being an epidemic does not help people in our society feel safe



Educating our youth on the risks and consequences of underage drinking could help in reducing and preventing the use of alcohol. Being able to locate personal factors such as childhood behavior problems or a family history of alcohol use disorders can help in identifying the high risk youth as potential users of underage drinking and how or when to intervene (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm). Knowing this type of information could show mentors and interns and such which students might need the most help out of the student body, but they will also focus on the student body as a whole. Many of the research based interventions from before target the child’s most relevant behavior such as their ability to react to peer pressure to engage in drinking, as well as their knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding the use of alcohol (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm). Family factors, such as parent–child relationships, discipline methods, communication, monitoring and supervision, and parental involvement, also exert a significant influence on youthful alcohol use (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm). Having the children being able to connect with certain adults around them may help, but having them connect with their parents is the main prevention of underage drinking. I remember having many talks with my mother and her using some of my relatives as examples which would help me think before I acted. If many parents acted like my mother did which she talked to me aboutalcohol abuse our society might be a little different. Not all parents have the strong bond that my mother and I have, but they could try. The bond I share with my mother is due to a program designed to help prevent underage drinking which I will list below.

   

Most prevention programs include social norms education, which use survey data to counter students’ misperceptions of their peers drinking practices and attitudes about alcohol (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm).  Some school–based programs are aimed at adolescents who have already begun drinking. Preliminary research also has found promise in high school–based motivational programs that encourage self–change in problem drinkers (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm). There are many programs that help with the fight of underage drinking and I am going to talk about the few programs that have helped me reach out to others throughout high school and eventually will help me in my future career which I want to work with at risk youth and try to change their lives.

The one program that has helped me bond on a level I never knew existed is the every fifteen minutes program. “This program is an event designed to dramatically instill teenagers with the potentially dangerous consequences of drinking alcohol and also texting while driving. This powerful program will challenge students to think about drinking, texting while driving, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions when lives are involved.  During the first day events the “Grim Reaper” calls students who have been selected from the student body every 15 minutes. A police officer will immediately enter the classroom to read an obituary which has been written by the "dead" student's parent(s) - explaining the circumstances of their classmate's demise and the contributions the student has made to the school and the community. A few minutes later, the student will return to class as the "living dead," complete with white face make-up, a coroner's tag, and a black Every 15 Minutes T-shirt. From that point on "victims" will not speak or interact with other students for the remainder of the school day. Simultaneously, uniformed officers will make mock death notifications to the parents of these children at their home, place of employment or business. After lunch, a simulated traffic collision will be viewable on the school grounds. Rescue workers will treat injured student participants. These students will experience firsthand, the sensations of being involved in a tragic, alcohol-related and texting while driving collision. The coroner will handle fatalities on the scene, while the injured students will be extricated by the jaws-of-life manned by Fire-Fighters and Paramedics. Police Officers will investigate, arrest, and book the student "drunk driver". Student participants will continue their experience by an actual trip to the morgue, the hospital emergency room, and to the police department jail for the purpose of being booked for "drunk driving". At the end of the day, those students who participated in the staged accident as well as those who were made-up as the "living dead" will be transported to a local hotel for an overnight student retreat. The retreat will simulate the separation from friends and family. A support staff of counselors and police officers will facilitate the retreat. During the most powerful program of the retreat, the students will be taken through an audio - visualization of their own death. Then each student will write a letter to his or her parents and parents will also be asked to write similar letters to their children. These letters will be shared the following day when students and parents will be reunited at a school assembly. The assembly will be hosted by an Officer (Project Coordinator), who will guide the audience through the devastating effects of losing a loved one due to a bad choice. Speakers will include students who will read letters to their parents, police officers, and hospital personnel who shared their emotional trauma of dealing with kids killed in traffic crashes. Parents will share their personal reflections of their involvement in this program. We will also have a powerful speaker who actually lost a child to a drunk driver, or as the result of driving while under the influence or texting while driving. The focus of the assembly stresses that the decision to consume alcohol can affect many more people than just the one who drinks and the dangers of texting while driving. This very emotional and heart-wrenching event will illustrate to students the potentially dangerous consequences of their use of alcohol and texting while driving, regardless of how casual they believe their use is” (http://www.every15minutes.com/aboutus). This program has brought me and my entire family closer and we have created a bond that is unbreakable especially my bond with my father and mother I have never once thought about drinking and driving and to this day always think about my actions before I do something. I would never want to leave such heartache and sorrow on my loved ones as in the way it would happen if something like this event were to take place.

  

Another program that I was very active in during high school is the decoying with the Alcohol and Beverage Control Agency. I would go into liquor stores and other places that alcohol was sold and attempt to buy alcohol when I was way under the age of 21 which I did because in 1997 the Supreme Court ruled that minor decoys could be used by law enforcement to check whether stores were selling alcohol to minors (persons under age 21) (http://www.abc.ca.gov/programs/shoulder_tap.html).  It was during this time that I realized that many people in our society are attempting to make a difference in our epidemic of underage drinking. I also acted in shoulder taps with this agency which got a lot of people in terrible. “The Decoy Shoulder Tap Program is a newly-created enforcement program that ABC and local law enforcement agencies use to detect and deter shoulder tap activity. During the program, a minor decoy, under the direct supervision of law enforcement officers, solicits adults outside ABC licensed stores to buy the minor decoy alcohol. Any person seen furnishing alcohol to the minor decoy is arrested (either cited or booked) for furnishing alcohol to a minor (a violation of Section 25658(a) Business and Professions Code)” (http://www.abc.ca.gov/programs/shoulder_tap.html). This program has changed my life as well because it has showed me what I want to do when I get into my career which is helping at risk youth and trying to make a difference in our society.

Casey’s Pledge is a program that has truly touched my heart and to this day will always hold a place in my heart along with my other two programs. “Casey's Pledge encourages youth to live a healthy lifestyle by committing their lives to staying alcohol free or never drinking and driving, and never getting into a car with a drinking driver. Casey's Pledge was designed to provide young people with a toolkit of resources and project ideas to implement the project in schools, and communities at large” this programs was enacted in memory of the death of Casey Leanne Goodwin (http://wwww.fridaynightlive.org/programas/programs_underageprev.htm).  This program we did during dances, prom, and sporting events. My last senior sports events were always senior night and had the game dedicated especially to Casey. This program I have seen touch many hearts at my school a lot of people were changed by this program once they understood the story behind it and learned about Casey’s mother and how hard she is trying to fight underage drinking and drinking and driving. Lynn Goodwin who is the mother of Casey Goodwin is a very moving and motivational speaker so she is able to touch many hearts and let us know the emotions and things behind it all.

One of the most life changing experiences for me was the Every 15 Minutes program that I participated in and also being active with the ABC agency also helped me make the choices I have made today. Having programs such as these and others that I know of really do make a difference in individual’s life. All that a person needs to do is want to make a difference like myself and help youth in their community. Not all of the programs are going to beg for youth to act in it, but I do know from personal experience that once a person is active friends behind join and that is how at my alma matter Friday Night Live was born from myself and others following.  I know that there are many other programs in our society fighting against drinking and driving and underage drinking. Some of these programs are: MADD, SADD, Trace, Friday Night Live, Club live, Mentoring programs, Trace and so many more. I will continue throughout my life to make a difference in youth’s lives. I did a lot of work in high school and only plan to do more to try and better our society. If we as a society help in the fight against underage drinking there is no telling what is possible in our future!

References:

http://www.abc.ca.gov/programs/shoulder_tap.html

http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm

http://www.every15minutes.com/aboutus

http://wwww.fridaynightlive.org/programas/programs_underageprev.htm

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/UnderageDrinking.html

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm

 

Alcohol Advertisement and Youth

Everyday our society watches television, flips through magazines, surfs the internet, checks our emails, and many other everyday life activities that alcohol advertisements are located in.  It is very true that there are many factors that may influence an underage person’s decision to drink under the legal age, but the media does happen to play a big role in this decision. More young people in the U.S. drink alcohol every month than smoke cigarettes or use any illegal drug (http://www.camy.org/research/YouthExposuretoAlcoholAdvertisinginNationalMagazines2001-2008/index.html). An example of this was seen in this year’s Super Bowl Budweiser advertisements throughout the entire game.  The world’s biggest brewer spent around $25 million to buy a total of 10 advertisements to be aired during the February’s Super Bowl XL which consisted of Bud, Bud Light and Michelob (http://www.marininstitute.org/alcohol_industry/ad_alert.htm). During this game it is estimated that 25 million underage youth are watching which includes 7 million who are under the age of 12 they used advertisements that had animals in it which help make the brands popular among youth which was shown in the American Medial Association’s Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (http://www.marininstitute.org/alcohol_industry/ad_alert.htm). 

A study published in the Journal of Health Communication found that youth from the age 10-17 years prefer beer advertisements that show humor, music, and animal characters and are more likely to say that these types of commercials make them want to buy the beer advertised (http://www.marininstitute.org/alcohol_industry/ad_alert.htm).  Having advertisements like this seems to only try to attract the eye of our underage youth in our society. I don’t know what child or youth wouldn’t pay attention to animals in a commercial because they all love these types of things and catch their eyes. It doesn’t surprise me either that this study in the Journal of Health Communication found that after this year’s Super Bowl viewers under the age of 17 years old voted that the Bud light commercials were one of the four favorite advertisements during the Super Bowl (http://www.marininstitute.org/alcohol_industry/ad_alert.htm).  It doesn’t surprise me because it seems that the actual industries are using anything they possibly can to get the attention of our youth. As I mentioned before youth from 10-17 will actually go out and get the alcoholic beverage being advertised because they like how the item is portrayed.

According to the Surgeon Generals Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking the alcohol industry has a public duty that relates to other marketing of this product since it is illegal in our states for more than a total of 80 million underage Americans to consume it (http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/alcohol_advertising_promotion/index.html). This is done through products and advertising design and placement that meet this expectations and criteria (http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/alcohol_advertising_promotion/index.html). So basically these advertisement agencies are only doing their jobs to promote their products because a group of the society is not allowed to consume or even touch this product. A very good argument against the alcohol advertisement targeting our youth is that according to the Surgeon General no alcohol product is designed or advertised to appeal to youth or to influence youth by sending the message that by drinking is an appropriate way for minors to learn to drink or that any form of alcohol is acceptable for drinking by anyone under the age of 21 (http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/alcohol_advertising_promotion/index.html) which means to me that no one is forcing a gun at our youths head and they are choosing to do this all by themselves regardless of all the talk on advertisements and such. Even though our Surgeon General may have put this out there as evidence for us to believe that the alcohol advertisers are not trying to target youth it’s actually hard to believe because it is shown above that some agencies actually do target our youth. Given the simple fact that no one is forcing these youth to drink they are exposed to such advertisements that might make them want to go out and try the alcohol they see being advertised.  Even if these agencies are not purposely targeting our youth these advertisements show that a large amount of these commercial messages and promotions do in fact reach underage youth (http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/Alcohol_Advertising_and_Promotion_A_Collective_Responsibility.html).

 “The industry has the prerogative-indeed, the social obligation-to regulate its own practices and to refrain from marketing products or engaging in promotional activities that have a particular appeal to youngsters, irrespective of whether such practices can be proven to "cause" underage drinking”(http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/Alcohol_Advertising_and_Promotion_A_Collective_Responsibility.html). Even though this might be backed by some research I don’t think it is one hundred percent true because if this was true our alcohol agencies wouldn’t make alcohol that tasted like juice or kool aide or energy drinks that contained alcohol in them. They target our younger generation with ways that they make themnot intentionally target our youth. Every day on television one cannot watch an hour without the advertisement of alcohol airing. This is due to the industry alcohol placement that is allowed to be aired because more than 70% of the population is over the age of 21 with the exception of alcohol being permitted from being advertised on children shows or magazines (http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/Alcohol_Advertising_and_Promotion_A_Collective_Responsibility.html). I happen to see this every day of my life because I see some form of alcohol being advertised in a way whether it is through the internet or television. Alcohol agencies are picking up on the different forms of media in our society today because they are aired and advertised in every form they can be from internet to the radio to television. Between 2001 and 2005, youth exposure to alcohol advertising on television in the U.S. increased by 41%. Much of this increase resulted from the rise in distilled spirits advertising on television from 1,973 ads in 2001 to 46,854 ads in 2005 (http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/Alcohol_Advertising_and_Youth.html).

References

http://www.camy.org/research/YouthExposuretoAlcoholAdvertisinginNationalMagazines2001-               %202008/index.html

http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/alcohol_advertising_promotion/index.html

http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/Alcohol_Advertising_and_Promotion_A_Collective_Responsibility.html

http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/Alcohol_Advertising_and_Youth.html

http://www.marininstitute.org/alcohol_industry/ad_alert.htm

Alcohol supply to underage drinkers

“We must create an environment that discourages underage drinking and supports parents’ efforts to provide their children with messages about growing up safe and healthy.” acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson (http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/pdf/Underage_Brochure_2010_ENG_v4_508.pdf). Underage drinking as I have shown in my previous blogs is one of the leading epidemics in our world. It has much that it ties to and promotes many risks that go with it. The bigger question I mentioned before is where our youth are supplying themselves with this alcohol. The very sad truth is that more than half of our youth (65%) are getting the alcohol from their very own friends and family which is shown in the chart listed below which also shows where else our youth are supplying themselves with this alcohol (http://www.centurycouncil.org/stop-underage-drinking). This means they could be giving money to their loved ones and having them go buy it, they could have taken it from the person they love or friends, or even gotten it from a completely stranger. Growing up getting alcohol in my small farm town was not a problem. All a person had to do was simply ask anyone standing in front of the store or simply ask one of the youth in our town that everyone knew their parents would supply underage minors with some alcohol.  

This chart shows that our current problem with underage drinking is the problem of family and friends supplying the alcohol to our youth.  This percentage is backed up by research which was conducted by The Century Council. This research showed that 65% of underage youth that drank alcohol obtained the alcohol from family and friends (http://www.centurycouncil.org/ stop-underage-drinking/initiatives/65percentcampaign). This research also showed that 7% of youth reported they obtained alcohol from retailers who failed to check for identification (http://www.centurycouncil.org/stop-underagedrinking/initiatives/ 65percentcampaign). The supply of alcohol to youth is at 65% and this needs to decline so our society can be made safe once again because having our youth obtain alcohol puts our society at a risk because a youth that has the chance to get their hands on alcohol may lead to many dangerous acts because they may not know what to do while under the influence. In a recent poll conducted on the KCRA news website the question asked was: should parents be held responsible for underage drinking in their home? Out of 1465 votes from the community 9% voted they should not be held responsible, 19% voted they should be responsible if they supply the alcohol, 33% voted if it happens on their property at all, and 39% voted if they know it’s happening (http://www.kcra.com/news/23532824/detail.html). This shows me that even though 65% of our society is shown to be supplying  alcohol we as a society believe that if we know  that underage drinking is going on our home then we should be held responsible. 65% is not the whole society so many people may feel that giving alcohol or supplying alcohol to the youth is wrong. Everyone is different and this is shown through this poll that was taken on the KCRA news website.

A recent survey conducted by HealthDay named Underage Alcohol Use: Findings From the 2002-2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health included a random sample of 158,000 people aged 12 to 20 years old shows that more than half of American teens say they've consumed alcohol, and more than 40 percent of those teens say they  have gotten  their alcohol  from an adult during the past month (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=52564 37&page=2). One in four say they have gotten alcohol from an unrelated adulated, one in sixteen got it from a parent or guardian, and one in twelve got the alcohol from a family member (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=5256437&page=2).  The acting Surgeon General Dr. Steven K. Galson said that "In far too many instances, parents directly enable their children's underage drinking -- in essence encouraging them to risk their health and well-being, proper parental guidance alone may not be the complete solution to this devastating public health problem -- but it is a critical part" (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id= 5256437&page=2).  Also among many of our underage drinkers 53.4% of our youth in this survey reported to drinking at someone else’s house, 30.3% drank in their own home and 9.4% drank at restaurants, bars or clubs (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=5256437&page=2).   This survey shows that not only are family and friends supplying the alcohol to our children, but they are getting the alcohol from other places as well. Some of these youth admit to getting it at other peoples home where it can be possible that that person’s family members or friends are giving them alcohol, but at the same time underage youth are also getting it at bars, clubs or restaurants that are failing to check the identification of our youth. Underage drinking may be practiced in a person’s household as well because in places all around the world such as Italy and France they make alcohol a part of family dining and many families in our society here in the United States may be acting in this way as well keeping traditions alive (http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/pdf/Underage_Brochure_2010_ENG_v4_508 .pdf). If this is how the underage drinking is coming about how do we as a society have any purpose in showing how the family is allowed to show their family traditions?

Even though our underage drinkers are able to get this alcohol at other places than family or friends it is revealed that young people who talk to their parents about the dangers of alcohol or other drugs are less likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs than were adolescents who didn’t discuss these issues with their parents (http://www.adolescent-substance-abuse.com/substance-abuse/survey-says-fewer-teens-getting-substance-abuse-prevention-messages.htm). 18.3% of adolescents who didn’t talk to their parents about the use of alcohol reported on being current users of alcohol as opposed to 16.2% of those adolescents that did talk to their parents reported being regular alcohol users (http://www.adolescent-substance-abuse.com/substance-abuse/survey -says-fewer-teens-getting-substance-abuse-prevention-messages.htm). An easier way that might make these parents that have a hard time speaking with their children is the many resources that may help them on the internet. One resource I came across that seems would be very helpful for a parent looking for help is a website named http://www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov/.  This website offers plans of actions and really helps the parent out on when and why they really need to speak to their child about the dangers and all the information about alcohol. It allows for them to input the age, the sex, and other information to help them help you on what to do with your loved one.

Even though our underage youth are able to get alcohol in many ways there is a new way that I learned about upon my research. This new way is known as secondary supply of alcohol which is the sale or supply of alcohol to underage youth by adults or other people (http://www.alcohol.gov.au/internet/alcohol/publishing.nsf/Content/B83AD1F91AA632ADCA25718E0081F1C3/$File/nas-06-09.pdf). The sad part about this is that I have never heard of this going on it can happen on the streets to youth that don’t even know this stranger selling alcohol to them or a friend making some money or anyone for that matter. One of the major downfalls of this is that it is overlooked by parents because we as a society dwell on the direct contact from stores and family members I don’t think we as a society are ready for this new type of market for alcohol for our underage youth. This disturbing new phenomenon has been overlooked by parents, the wider community and our government due to the exacerbated by inadequate laws that address the secondary supply of alcohol to minors in an unlicensed premise (http://www.alcohol.gov.au/internet/alcohol/publishing.nsf/Content/B83AD1F91AA632ADCA25718E0081F1C3/$File/nas-06-09.pdf). As a result to all the different controversy over licensed and unlicensed premises the laws that are laid out over these two different locations  differ from state to state in how they deal with these different issues. While strict laws are in place in licensed premises all over our states, it is still legal in Victoria, Australia for another person to supply your underage child alcohol in a private residence without your permission (http://www.alcohol.gov.au/internet/alcohol/publishing.nsf/Content/B83AD1F91AA632ADCA25718E0081F1C3/$File/nas-06-09.pdf). Even though this may be another continentI would not want to live here because I think this is a bad decision on the act of the government. Not having the distribution of alcohol be illegal is not okay with me. I feel that any underage drinking is not acceptable and this is why I would not want to live in this society. I know this is far from home but underage drinking is unacceptable to me no matter where it is taking place whether it be in your living room or in a living room in Australia for that matter.



There are many stories that we hear in our media weekly and sometimes even daily about the distribution of alcohol to underage youth. While researching one story stuck in my head and I couldn’t seem to get it out. It was the story of a High School girls volleyball coach and math teacher in Connecticut who was arrested for second degree of reckless endangerment and delivery of alcohol to a minor. This coach was allegedly caught supplying alcohol to two students prior to a high school dance after she heard that these students were looking for alcohol for the dance.  Also she was later charged with letting some students drink out of her coffee cup which contained alcohol inside of it. These acts were committed  in two different towns so the different penalties she would receive were going to be somewhat different due to the different jurisdictions these acts were committed in (http://www.fanhouse.com/2010/05/20/connecticut-high-school-coach-arrested-for-giving-alcohol-to-min/).  It breaks my heart that people all over the world are committing these acts when they carry such a harsh charge in the end. This teacher has ruined her life and reputation because she decided to supply alcohol to these underage youth. Stories like these and others make a person think about people in general and if they are supplying alcohol to underage youth. If a teacher/coach did something like this what’s to say that other people we believe we can trust won’t do it? Even though much of the supply of alcohol is done by family or friends there is also the small percent that is not done by people we don’t know like a stranger or store/bar that don’t check ID or the individuals having fake ID’s, or other reasons that we don’t know (http://www.centurycouncil.org/stop-underage-drinking). Although more than the majority has to do with people we know which means a lot of the supply hits close to home.

All this talk about underage drinking supply has made me look into what the consequences are for it are. Under the Business and Professions code Section 25658 the consequences are as follow:

“(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), every person who sells, furnishes, gives, or causes to be sold, furnished, or given away, any alcoholic beverage to any person under the age of21 years is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(b) Any person under the age of 21 years who purchases any alcoholic beverage, or any person under the age of 21 years who consumes any alcoholic beverage in any on-sale premises, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(c) Any person who violates subdivision (a) by purchasing any alcoholic beverage for, or furnishing, giving, or giving away any alcoholic beverage to, a person under the age of 21 years, and the person under the age of 21 years thereafter consumes the alcohol and thereby proximately causes great bodily injury or death to himself, herself, or any other person, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d) Any on-sale licensee who knowingly permits a person under the age of 21 years to consume any alcoholic beverage in the on-sale premises, whether or not the licensee has knowledge that the person is under the age of 21 years, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(e) (1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) or (3), any person who violates this section shall be punished by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250), no part of which shall be suspended, or the person shall be required to perform not less than 24 hours or more than 32 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed and is not attending school, or a combination of a fine and community service as determined by the court. A second or subsequent violation of subdivision (b) shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or the person shall be required to perform not less than 36 hours or more than 48 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed and is not attending school, or a combination of a fine and community service as determined by the court. It is the intent of the Legislature that the community service requirements prescribed in this section require service at an alcohol or drug treatment program or facility or at a county coroner's office, if available, in the area where the violation occurred or where the person resides.

   (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), any person who violates subdivision (a) by furnishing an alcoholic beverage, or causing an alcoholic beverage to be furnished, to a minor shall be punished by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000), no part of which shall be suspended, and the person shall be required to perform not less than 24 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed and is not attending school.

   (3) Any person who violates subdivision (c) shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a minimum term of six months not to exceed one year, by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both imprisonment and fine.

   (f) Persons under the age of 21 years may be used by peace officers in the enforcement of this section to apprehend licensees, or employees or agents of licensees, or other persons who sell or furnish alcoholic beverages to minors. Notwithstanding subdivision (b), any person under the age of 21 years who purchases or attempts to purchase any alcoholic beverage while under the direction of a peace officer is immune from prosecution for that purchase or attempt to purchase an alcoholic beverage. Guidelines with respect to the use of persons under the age of 21 years as decoys shall be adopted and published by the department in accordance with the rulemaking portion of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). Law enforcement-initiated minor decoy programs in operation prior to the effective date of regulatory guidelines adopted by the department shall be authorized as long as the minor decoy displays to the seller of alcoholic beverages the appearance of a person under the age of 21 years. This subdivision shall not be construed to prevent the department from taking disciplinary action against a licensee who sells alcoholic beverages to a minor decoy prior to the department's final adoption of regulatory guidelines. After the completion of every minor decoy program performed under this subdivision, the law enforcement agency using the decoy shall notify licensees within 72 hours of the results of the program. When the use of a minor decoy results in the issuance of a citation, the notification required shall be given to licensees and the department within 72 hours of the issuance of the citation. A law enforcement agency may comply with this requirement by leaving a written notice at the licensed premises addressed to the licensee, or by mailing a notice addressed to the licensee.

   (g) The penalties imposed by this section do not preclude prosecution or the imposition of penalties under any other provision of law, including, but not limited to, Section 272 of the Penal Code and Section 13202.5 of the Vehicle Code” (http://law.onecle.com/california/business/2565 8.html).

               After reading all these penalties a person can have imposed on them it would make anyone double think before they supplied alcohol to underage youth. I know that I would never supply alcohol to underage youth before and after reading all these penalties I know I would NEVER supply it even more so now. After writing this blog I don’t believe there is much that critics or a person that doesn’t believe underage drinking is a problem have much to say. The only thing I can see them commenting on is if family and friends want to supply their underage family with alcohol who cares. Let them do what they want and if it is part of their family traditions then we should leave them alone. The problem I personally have with this is that even though it may be part of their family traditions it is still against the law and it should not be done period.