New Underage Drinking Law Cracks Down on Parents
Provisions of an Illinois law expands on parents' responsibilities to prevent underage drinking on their property.
A law taking effect Jan. 1 targeting underage drinking will crack down on parents who allow minors to drink anywhere on their property, expanding on the current law that specifies it is illegal to let minors drink at their home.
The law, which Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934 — Public Act 97-1049 —makes it a misdemeanor carrying a $500 fine for any adult to knowingly permit minors under the age of 21 to drink alcohol on their property or in their home. If the violation results in bodily harm or death, the adult will be charged with a Class 4 felony.
The provision also strikes the requirement that the person in the home knows about the underage drinking activity.
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In addition, a parent or guardian who knowingly allows a minor to use their property in a way that violates the act's prohibited sales and possession provisions is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
DUI attorney Donald Ramsell, of Ramsell & Associates, said the law goes too far in its attempt to punish parents when teenagers drink, forcing them to act like police officers any time teenagers visit their homes.
"The old law carried penalties only when parents actually authorized the drinking or actually knew it was occurring. This new law would put a parent in jail for up to 1 year simply because they failed to prevent underage drinking on their properties," he said.
If an adult calls the police for assistance with getting rid of anyone breaking the rules on their property, he or she would not be in violation of the act, according to the release.
Read the legislation on the Illinois General Assembly website.
Local Editor Charlotte Ericksen contributed to this report.
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Steve
8:01 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Again, they hit parents that try to raise their kids right with a law that is completely devoid of any logic. So now we have to lock the liquor cabinet and also lock the kids out of the house when we are not there to keep an eye on them every waking moment. It just doesn't make sense.
JPauly
8:47 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
And lock the gun cabinet while you're at it.
oswego resident
8:13 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
I think this new law is long overdue. It's targeting the parents who think they are trying to be cool with the kids by letting them drink in their home. Maybe some of these parents will actually have to say no to their kids.....
Logansdad
8:57 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
I doubt this will stop underage drinking. Parents will still let their kids drink, they will just have smaller groups over and make sure the kids have a 0.0 BAC before they leave. Teens will still find a way to get liquor or beer and then drink out in public instead of at home.
Nancy
10:29 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
It's about time. A kid at an an underage drinking party nearly landed an out of control car into my home. Could he/she have killed someone? Of course. Luckily didn't. This is a much needed law. Of course every law in the land is and will be broke, that doesn't mean we shouldn't have them. We as parents have to be responsible for our kids, if we aren't who is? Maybe when children find out that if they drink their parents will have to open their wallets to the tune of $25,000 they will listen up. There has to be consequences.
TruthSeeker
7:15 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Land of the free.
JPauly
8:45 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
See how easy it is to create a law that effectively limits a lethal weapon from injuring or killing someone? Now just plug in the word "guns" and "ammo" where needed and another law could created and be just as effective with limiting another type of violence. It takes a village to raise a child peeps.
Nancy
8:54 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
We did it with drunk driving laws. We didn't take the car away we tackled the cause. This has nothing to so with guns or ammo. New laws were created but didn't affect those that abided by them.
Tyler Foley
11:59 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Yesl "land of the free"
Not " I'm gonna do what I want when I want"
Just think of it this way. This law could have just saved you kid,
Tyler Foley
11:59 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Yesl "land of the free"
Not " I'm gonna do what I want when I want"
Just think of it this way. This law could have just saved you kid,