New rules target teens
by Paul Koepp, Staff Writer
The Township Council adopted two ordinances Tuesday aimed at curbing underage drinking.
One of the measures prohibits the possession or consumption of alcohol on private property by underage drinkers, while the other requires that beer kegs be registered prior to sale.
According to the first ordinance, the driver’s license of a minor caught drinking alcohol on private property could be suspended for up to six months, or postponed by that length of time once the minor is of legal age to drive. It also establishes a fine of $250 for a first offense and $350 for subsequent offenses.
However, Township Attorney Don Sears said that police would still need probable cause to go on to private property. In addition, the ordinance creates an exemption for minors who are in the presence of their parents and have their permission to drink, as well as an exemption for religious observances.
The keg registration ordinance requires retailers to place an identification label on every keg sold so that police can track the purchasers of kegs found at parties where minors are discovered drinking. Retailers must keep a record for 90 days of the buyer’s driver’s license number, the date and time of the purchase, the keg’s identification number and the buyer’s signature.
Township groups such as SUDZ, Stop Underage Drinking Zone, and the Municipal Alliance on Substance Abuse had petitioned the council to look at measures similar to those that have been adopted in nearby towns to crack down on underage drinking.
Linda Surks, a Kendall Park resident who works for the local branch of the National Council on Drug and Alcohol Dependence, said the ordinances were necessary and she was glad the township adopted them. She cited national statistics showing that kids who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol problems as adults, and that alcohol abuse is a factor in half of all car crashes involving teens and in up to 60 percent of youth suicides.
”Any measure that acts as a deterrent to underage drinking will save lives,” she said.
Councilman Charlie Carley said Ms. Surks and others had been instrumental in crafting and promoting the ordinances, and he thanked her for her work.