GUEST OPINION
By Sheryl Stone and Cherie Campbell
Congratulations Class of 2006!
Graduation and all the accompanying festivities are about to begin!
Recent headlines in the Hopewell Valley News have drawn our attention to the problem of underage drinking. In fact, at a meeting being held today, community leaders, parents and students are talking about the problem. The Post Prom Committee, with the support of the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance, also is hard at work to ensure a safe and unforgettable gathering after the Senior Prom tomorrow (Friday).
The Mercer Council on Alcoholism & Drug Addiction has made available to every senior parent a brochure, "Underage Drinking: What Every Parent and Host Should Know." Included are the current state laws:
Possession or consumption of alcohol in place by the underaged Any person under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages who knowingly possesses without legal authority or who knowingly consumes any alcoholic beverage in any school, public conveyance, public place, place of public assembly, or motor vehicle is guilty of a disorderly persons offense and shall be fined not less than $500. If the offense occurs in a motor vehicle, it will also result in a six month loss of license.
Purchase of alcohol by/for underaged Any underage person who purchases or attempts to purchase alcohol, or lies about their age, or a person of legal age who purchases alcohol for an underaged person faces a conviction of a disorderly persons offense, which incurs a fine of not less that $500 and a loss of license of 6 months to one year.
Serving an alcoholic beverage to a minor Anyone who purposefully or knowingly offers or serves or makes available alcoholic beverages to a person under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages or entices that person to drink alcohol or makes real property owned, leased or managed by him available for the consumption of alcohol by underaged persons is committing a disorderly person offense and is subject to a fine of up to $1000 if convicted.
Transfer of ID Someone who is underage and uses another person’s ID card to obtain alcohol, or someone of legal age gives his/her ID card to an underage person so that they can obtain alcohol, faces a fine up to $300 or up to 60 days in jail.
False ID A person who knowingly sells, offers, or exposes for sale a document that simulates a driver’s license or other document issue by a government agency and that could be used to verify a person’s identity or age is guilty of a disorderly persons offense, and will be fined $1000 if convicted.
Consider, as well, the following myths:
Myth 1 I may not approve of students drinking in my home, but it’s OK as long as I take their keys and don’t let them drive The law in New Jersey doesn’t allow adults to serve or otherwise make alcohol available to other people’s children. Attorneys indicate that adults who take keys from guests in advance are actually encouraging drinking and open themselves to legal liability even if their guests don’t get into a car: a fall down a flight of stairs, a sudden altercation between guests, or an alcohol-related illness or incident could bring on litigation. "But I took their keys away" would be a weak defense, and, in fact, would acknowledge that the adult knew what was happening.
Myth 2 If I’m present, I can manage the situation and keep the drinking to a safe minimum. How else will students learn to drink responsibly? Parents have found that parties tend to be larger and less controllable than planned, especially when word gets around (as it inevitably does), that rules will be relaxed. Sooner or later, guests will appear who are not known by the host adult and present an unknown set of risks.
Myth 3 I trust my son/daughter to use good sense and keep things from getting out of hand As comforting as the thought may be in the abstract, when alcohol and students get together, things can get out of hand very quickly. High school students may disapprove of the excesses of their peers, but they are seldom in a position to control things or prevent unhappy incidents. It’s not fair to put our children in a vulnerable situation that has potentially serious consequences!
Our hope is that Hopewell Valley teens will sense a genuine concern for their health and wellbeing as they celebrate their graduation. Working together we can build a better, safer environment for our children!
Copies of this information are available from the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance at 737-0120, ext. 642.
Sheryl Stone is chairman and Cherie Campbell is coordinator of the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance.