“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.
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