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 Teenage Parties, Alcohol & Parental Liability
Pressure to please your children or reminiscing of "when you were young" may add to the temptation of allowing parties where alcohol is served to minors. Even if your intentions are good and you feel that you may be responsible enough to supervise the situation, a parent should be aware of the legal ramifications of hosting such a party.
Liability
It is against the law in California to serve alcoholic beverages, or permit alcoholic beverages to be served in your home, to anyone under the age of 21. The law does allow exceptions for immediate family members or as part of a religious ceremony.
In California, individuals who are convicted of the misdemeanor of serving alcohol to a minor may be fined up to $2,700. This law applies to any parent who decides to purchase alcohol for a party knowing the guests will be underage. This also applies if the parents do not purchase the alcohol themselves, but allow alcohol to be served on their premises.
Even if a parent is not present, but knows about and permits an underage drinking party, that parent may be subject to civil liability for damages to and/or committed by an intoxicated minor whom they knew would consume alcohol on the premises. The state civil code requires an injured party to prove their injuries were caused by the host's illegal serving of alcohol rather than the drinker's own consumption. Many California communities, particularly in San Diego County, have passed Social Liability Laws. These laws hold adults accountable by imposing fines and allowing police departments to recoup costs incurred in breaking up private parties where underage drinking occurs. For more information go to:
www.pres-net.com/parents/parent_board/drinking_laws.htm
Factors That Increase Crash Risk
Many kids drive and ride together as a group to various functions. Multiple passengers increase a teen's crash risk exponentially. This is primarily due to driver distraction. Research shows teen drivers aged 16 to 17 who drive with just one teenage passenger are 50 percent more likely to be involved in a crash than when driving alone. The risk more than doubles when two teenage passengers are in the car. If there are three or more teen passengers, the risk is three to five times more likely they will be involved in a crash compared to driving alone.
Driving Safety Tips
In order to help keep teens safe during prom and graduation season, Chrysler Group and MADD offer the following safety tips for parents:
- Remember that the legal drinking age is 21. Insist that your teen never drink alcohol before 21 or use other drugs, or ride in a car with friends who are under the influence.
- Require your teen and all passengers to always buckle up.
- Limit the number of passengers with whom your teen drives.
- Remind teens to take extra care when driving at night: most teen crashes occur after dark.
- Insist that your teen obey all the rules of the road, including never speeding.
For more information, go to: www.madd.org/news/0,1056,9731,00.html
Elder Abuse Prevention
May is Elder Abuse Prevention month. The United States Census Bureau projects that California's elderly population will nearly double within the next 20 years - from 3.7 million to more than 6.4 million. In 1998, the United States General Accounting Office reported that one in three California nursing homes was cited for serious or potentially life-threatening care problems. To learn more about the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, go to: www.chainyounger.com/faq_elder_abuse.html
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