Holding Parents Accountable

Parents who decide to begin teaching their children early to drink "responsibly" may want to rethink that position due to a growing number of laws going on the books.

In an attempt to curb the growing problem of underage drinking, many states are passing legislation that holds parents accountable and financially liable for the actions of their children, if they provide them alcohol.

In the past, the focus of curbing underage drinking was aimed at businesses and their employees who sold alcohol to minors, but these new laws go far beyond that scope to hold any adult accountable for providing alcohol to children, even their parents in their own home.

The crack down on teen drinking, and the problems associated with it, is not restricted to the United States. In Britain, the Home Secretary launched a plan to issue all teenagers identity cards under government plans to crack down on under-age drinking and smoking.

This British plan is aimed at cutting off illegal sales to minors, but does not address the problem of parents providing booze to their own children, although the contribution of parents to the problem has been recognized. In the U.S., the new push makes all adults responsible for underaged drinking, whether the sell or freely give alcohol to kids.

Getting Tough on Parents

In Minnesota, a law was passed that allows injured parties to sue any adult knowingly providing liquor to a minor who then causes harm to someone while under the influence of the alcohol.

According to an editorial in the Duluth News, "the law doesn't apply in cases where underage drinkers force a locked liquor cabinet in the home, get drunk and then go out and cause harm. But it makes a strong case for locking liquor up -- and securely."

In North Carolina, anyone convicted of providing alcohol to children can be fined a minimum of $250 and assigned 25 hours of community service. In Maryland, an adult who provides alcohol to kids can be charged up to $1,000 for a first offense.

In Connecticut, towns are organizing public meetings to educate parents about the dangers of providing booze to kids, and in Massachusetts, the Needham Youth Commission has created a 12-hour program to help parents of teens.

"We can't blame teenagers for the problem when it's adults who are providing the alcohol to them," Ferris Morrison, project manager for the North Carolina Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking told the Christian Science Monitor. "A lot of the problem is that parents just don't see alcohol as a problem."

"We need to say to adults, 'Most adults don't provide alcohol to teenagers, and most teenagers don't drink,'" Ms. Morrison said.