New California Legislation To Increase Parental Liability For Supplying Minors With Alcohol

New California Legislation To Increase Parental Liability For Supplying Minors With Alcohol

While providing minors with alcohol is illegal in California, up until recently the law prohibited civil recourse for such cases. This changed last August, when Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law AB 2486, "The Teen Alcohol Safety Act" under which adults will be subject to severe liabilities and other financial consequences for providing alcohol to minors, especially when such actions result in fatal or injury accidents.In addition to civil suits and liabilities, some California communities may even charge police fees for breaking up underage parties. In others, adults may face criminal charges, depending on the outcome of the party, including whether minors were injured or killed in an accident.The tragedy that prompted this legislation involved a 17-year-old girl named Shelby Allen. Over a school holiday, she went to a friend's house, where her friend's parents were at home at the time, and their bar was fully stocked. Although the exact details were not clear, it was apparent that all of the youth had been drinking excessively that evening, which ended with Allen's friends leaving her semi-conscious over a toilet after she began to show signs of alcohol poisoning. The next morning, she was found dead.While the Teen Alcohol Safety Act, AB 2486, will render hosts liable for providing minors with alcohol, another law, AB 1999, would offer teens limited immunity for staying with their friends until after the authorities have been called. This is vital since most teens drink with other teens and are often frightened of the consequences. Moreover, in many cases, teens drive after drinking and are involved in risky behaviors, such as not fastening their seatbelts and speeding. According to the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, these three behaviors are the top predicators of fatalities among young people.In communities throughout Orange County, law enforcement and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control are cracking down on liquor and grocery stores that sell alcohol to minors. In a recent sting operation, several people were arrested. If you are an adult who purchases alcohol for a minor's consumption, you could be fined up to $1,000 and forced to perform several hours of community service.Research indicates that teens do listen to their parents, even though it may not seem like it at times. Young people need to know that drinking and driving is a matter of life and death. Additionally, alcohol involves risks to their long-term mental development, including brain damage. Statistics speak for themselves: teen automobile crashes are the leading causes of death for teenagers, with one-third of accidents involving alcohol use. Teens are four times more likely to be killed in a car accident than any other age group. Hopefully, the Teen Alcohol Safety Act and increased efforts by law enforcement and parents to prevent teenage alcohol consumption will help decrease these numbers.

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