The night of my high school graduation, I went to a party at the home of a schoolmate. Her parents were out of town. Her father’s police car, parked in the driveway, became a photo op without fear of repercussion, the benefit of teenage years spent in the dark ages. There was a keg of beer, purchased by the parent of another friend, and blue robes everywhere. I was 18, just shy of invincible.
While I don’t recall what my parents thought I was doing, it certainly wasn’t that. I was out with people they hardly knew, making bad decisions like it was my birthright. They were at home, sleeping by the landline.
Of course, now I know that underage drinking is more than just illegal. In addition to increasing the potential for negative actions and worse consequences, it is also dangerous from a health standpoint:
I didn’t know from facts. I only knew enough to make it to graduation. My only goal, written on every page of my yearbook, was to have a great summer, and summer started that night.
It was graduation, what else would we do?
Fortunately, teens are drinking far less now than they did when I was a kid. Also, there are options. For instance, the school district that my boys both attend (high school and middle school, respectively) hosts a fabulous grad night party for high school students immediately following their graduation, supervised and safe, but still incredibly fun.
Back then, I was fairly confident that someday my own future kids, upon their graduation (or any other celebratory cause) would benefit from my willingness to supply both drink and a safe place to enjoy it. After all, I was going to be the cool parent. Turns out I was half right.
The cool half.
I know enough now about the aforementioned dangers of kids consuming alcohol, that I talk to my boys about it on reoccurring basis. Not only that, even if I were inclined to overlook the warnings and host a party (the whole “they’re going to drink, may as well do it where I can supervise” parenting approach), then I would be setting myself up for a lot of trouble. I don’t want a lot of trouble. I like my trouble in manageable amounts. A dab, if you will.
Do you know about Social Hosting Laws?
Social Hosting Laws
- Many parents claim they would rather their kids safely drink in their own home as opposed to going out and about, but there are serious consequences for adults who do host these types of parties.
- Social hosting refers to parents who allow underage kids to drink in their homes. If a kid ends up injured or involved in some type of accident, the host can be fined and even faced with jail time. Providing alcohol to minors and allowing them to consume in your home is illegal, and there are consequences.
- Click here to learn about social hosting laws in your state.
Granted, we can’t always be everywhere (nor should we be, land the damn helicopter!), so it’s nice to know that many states have Good Samaritan Laws to help kids make safe decisions even when they find themselves on the wrong side of a bad one.
Good Samaritan Laws
- Fear of police involvement is one of the most common reasons for not calling 911 when a friend is in danger or experiencing a medical emergency.
- A number of states have enacted a Good Samaritan law, seeking to offer limited and situational immunity as incentive for providing life-saving measures.
- Let your kids know that if they or a friend is ever in danger, calling for help is critical.
- Learn more about Good Samaritan laws and explore our [Ask, Listen, Learn] state map to see if they are enacted in your area.
At the end of the day, I may be somewhat squarer as a parent than my teenage self thought I would be, but considering the information and experience above, I’m okay with that. In fact, I’m proud of it.
I think my kids are, too.
This post is in partnership with Responsibility.org as part of their Ask, Listen, Learn campaign. The information above regarding the laws is from their site. Our collective mission is to eliminate drunk driving and speak to kids about underage drinking; also to promote responsible decision-making regarding the consumption of alcohol. It is a good cause, and my opinions remain my own. Obviously.
If you would like to learn more (also, ask and listen) about underage drinking please connect with Responsibility.org and Ask, Listen, Learn on social media:
Facebook – @GoFAAR @AskListenLearn
Twitter – @goFAAR @AskListenLearn
Instagram – @go_faar @Ask_Listen_Learn
Whit Honea is the co-founder of Dads 4 Change and the Social Media Director of Dad 2.0 Summit. Deemed “the activist dad” by UpWorthy (and one of the “funniest dads on Twitter” by Mashable), he is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, The Modern Dads Podcast and author of The Parents’ Phrase Book—a practical guide to social and emotional learning. Whit was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He is the 2015 winner of the Iris Award for Best Writing.
