NYS Law |
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Penalties in New York for Underage Drinking
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New York Social Host Laws |
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It is against the law for persons under 21 to possess alcohol with the intention of consuming it. The attempt to purchase alcohol by presenting fake ID—even if you are not successful—can get you a $100 fine, required alcohol awareness training, and up to 30 community service hours, plus the suspension of your license for 90 days. (If you don't have your own license yet, you may have to postpone applying for it for the penalty period.) New York State also has ZERO TOLERANCE for underage drinkers who get behind the wheel with a blood alcohol content of .02% or higher. Learn More... |
Parents who serve alcohol to their children in their home need to understand they may serve ONLY their children. Social host laws in New York place criminal and civil liability on parents who allow underage drinking in their homes, even if they didn't supply the alcohol, even if the other parents gave their permission. Who really wants to be arrested in front of the whole neighborhood? Aside from being liable for any injury or damage that arises from the underage drinking, parents could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, so it's important to understand the social host laws fully. http://www.stopdwi.org/tools-resources http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/Furnishing_Alcohol_to_Minors.html |
Prevention
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When your teen has a drinking problem |
What Not To Do
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Discovering your child is drinking can generate fear, confusion, and anger in parents. It's important to remain calm when confronting your teen, and only do so when everyone is sober. Explain your concerns and make it clear that your concern comes from a place of love. It's important that your teen feels you are supportive. Five steps parents can take:Lay down rules and consequences Monitor your teen's activity: Encourage other interests and social activities. Talk to your child about underlying issues. Get outside help |
Don't attempt to punish, threaten, bribe, or preach. Don't try to be a martyr. Avoid emotional appeals that may only increase feelings of guilt and the compulsion to drink or use other drugs. Don't cover up or make excuses for the alcoholic or problem drinker or shield them from the realistic consequences of their behavior. Don't take over their responsibilities, leaving them with no sense of importance or dignity. Don't hide or dump bottles, throw out drugs, or shelter them from situations where alcohol is present. Don't argue with the person when they are impaired. Don't try to drink along with the problem drinker. Above all, don't feel guilty or responsible for another's behavior. |
Elementary |
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At this early age, they are eager to know and memorize rules, and they want your opinion on what's "bad" and what's "good." Although they are old enough to understand that smoking is bad for them, generally they are not ready to take in complex facts about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Nevertheless, this is a good time to practice the decision-making and problem-solving skills that they will need later on. Here are some ways to help your preschool children make good decisions about what should and should not go into their bodies: Discuss why children need healthy food. Have your child name several favorite good foods and explain how these foods contribute to health and strength. Set aside regular times when you can give your son or daughter your full attention. Get on the floor and play with your child; learn about his or her likes and dislikes; let your child know that you love him; say that he or she is too wonderful and unique to take drugs. Provide guidelines like playing fair, sharing toys and telling the truth so children know what kind of behavior you expect from them. |
Encourage your child to follow instructions and to ask questions if he does not understand the instructions. When your child becomes frustrated at play, use the opportunity to strengthen problem-solving skills. For example, if a tower of blocks keeps collapsing, work together to find possible solutions. Turning a bad situation into a success reinforces a child's self-confidence. Whenever possible, let your child choose what to wear. Even if the clothes don't quite match, you are reinforcing your child's ability to make decisions. Point out poisonous and harmful substances commonly found in homes, such as bleach, kitchen cleanser and furniture polish, and read the products' warning labels out loud. Explain that prescription medications are drugs that can help the person for whom they are meant but that can harm anyone else, especially children, who must stay away from them unless they are prescribed properly for them. |
Middle School |
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A child this age usually shows increasing interest in the world outside the family and home. Discuss how anything you put in your body that is not food, water or juice can be extremely harmful, and how drugs interfere with the way our bodies work and can make a person very sick or even cause them to die. (Most children of this age have had real-life experiences with the death of a relative or a friend's relative.) By the time your children are in third grade, they should understand that: foods, poisons, medicines and illegal drugs differ; medicines prescribed by a doctor and administered by a responsible adult may help during illness but can be harmful if misused, and therefore children need to stay away from any unknown substance or container; and adults may drink in moderation but children may not, even in small amounts because it's harmful to children's developing brains and bodies Questions elementary school children frequently ask about drugs: Why would people want to put bad things in their bodies? |
Before leaving elementary school, your children should know: the immediate effects of alcohol, tobacco and drug use on different parts of the body, including coma and death; the long-term consequences of drug use, including addiction and loss of control of one's life; the reasons why drugs are especially dangerous for growing bodies; and the problems that alcohol and other illegal drugs cause not only to the user, but to the user's family and the world. One answer might be that they might not realize how dangerous the bad things are; another is that they are not taking care of themselves. Sometimes people start using a drug just to see what it feels like, but it can turn into an addiction (like \cigarettes) and it's very hard to stop using it. Why can't I taste that "grown-up" drink? A small amount of alcohol has a much greater negative effect on a child's body than on an adult's; even a small amount can sicken a child. |
High School |
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The year your child enters middle school or junior high school is both an exciting and a challenging time. They are little fish in a big pond and often want desperately to fit in. Because your children may now see older students using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and may think they are cool and self-assured, your children may be tempted to try drugs too. To help your children make good choices during this critical phase, you should: Make sure they are well-versed in the reasons to avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs; Get to know their friends by taking them to and from after-school activities, games, the library and movies (while being sensitive to their need to feel independent); Volunteer for activities where you can observe your child at school; and Get acquainted with the parents of your children's friends and learn about their children's interests and habits. If it seems that your child is attracted to those with bad habits, reiterate why drug use is unacceptable. To make sure that your child's life is structured in such a way that drugs have no place in it, you should: If possible, arrange to have your children looked after and engaged in the after-school hours if you cannot be with them. Encourage them to get involved with reputable youth groups, arts, music, sports, community service and academic clubs. |
Make sure children who are unattended for periods during the day feel your presence. Give them a schedule and set limits on their behavior. Give them household chores to accomplish. Enforce a strict phone-in-to-you policy. Leave notes for them around the house. Provide easy-to-find snacks. Get to know the parents of your child's friends. Exchange phone numbers and addresses. Agree to forbid each others' children from consuming alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in their homes, and pledge that you will inform each other if one of you becomes aware of a child who violates this pact. Call parents whose home is to be used for a party. Make sure they can assure you that no alcoholic beverages or illegal substances will be dispensed. Don't be afraid to check out the party yourself to see that adult supervision is in place. Make it easy for your child to leave a place where substances are being used. Discuss with your child in advance how to contact you or another designated adult in order to get a ride home. If another adult provides the transportation, be available to talk to your child about the situation when he or she arrives home. Set curfews and enforce them. Weekend curfews might range from 9 p.m. for a fifth-grader to 12:30 a.m. for a senior in high school. Encourage open dialogue with your children about their experiences. Tell your child, "I love you and trust you, but I don't trust the world around you, and I need to know what's going on in your life so I can be a good parent to you." |