Published: June 27, 2008 02:36 pm      

“Party parents” could face fines or jail time

Carman Williams

cwilliams@weatherforddemocrat.com



Teens are out of school with more time on their hands, which means that many parents are concerned about their children getting into some sort of trouble during the summer months.



Some parents, determined to know what their children are doing and who they’re with, have begun to provide their underage children and their friends with alcohol. These parents reason that their children will end up drinking anyway, and it is safer for them to drink under their parent’s supervision. Reports have indicated that almost half of underage drinkers get their alcohol at home. But these parents should beware: there are legal and physical ramifications for allowing underage children to drink.



Because of the new social host laws, Texas parents could face criminal charges for giving alcohol to their kids or their kid’s friends. Parents might be held responsible even if they aren’t at home while the teens are drinking.



According to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, adults who provide alcohol to minors could face fines up to $4,000 or up to a year in jail, and automatically have their driver’s license suspended for 180 days. Underage drinkers face fines up to $500, must take an alcohol awareness class, perform between eight and 40 hours of community service, and can have their license suspended for 30 to 180 days--and that is for a first-time offence. Also, because of the Texas Zero Tolerance law, any underage driver with traces of alcohol in their bloodstream would face strict penalties.



The Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that the legal drinking age protects youth from potential harm. According to the CDCP, underage drinkers are more likely than teens who don’t drink to have problems in school or be in trouble with the law. Also, alcohol can have harmful effects on the developement of teens, leading to memory problems, disruption of growth or reproductive maturity, and changes in brain development that can have a life-long impact.



The CDCP also cited studies showing that underage drinkers are more likely than adults to binge drink, which can trigger alcohol poisoning. One study showed that teens who started drinking before age 15 were five times more likely to abuse alcohol than those who waited until their 21st birthday to start drinking.



It has been estimated that 11 percent of the alcohol in the United States is consumed by 12 to 20 year-olds, and in Texas underage drinkers consume 20 percent of the state’s alcohol.