Message To Parents

The SAGA Coalition in partnership with Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, Anderson Township Safe Communities, Forest Hills School District, the Parent Communication Network, and  members of the community, announce the holiday launch of the “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most”: Don’t Be a Party To Teenage Drinking campaign. This campaign is the latest in zero tolerance enforcement of underage drinking laws that targets parents and teens that furnish alcohol to minors.

According to the Ohio Revised Code, a person commits an offense if they purchase an alcoholic beverage for, or gives, or with criminal negligence makes available an alcoholic beverage to a minor. An offense under this provision is a Class A Misdemeanor, and is punishable by a fine up to $1000; confinement in jail for a term up to one year; or both.

The fact is that parents who give alcohol to their teen’s friends under any circumstances, even in their own homes, are breaking the law.

• Parents who knowingly allow a person under 21 to remain in their home or on their property while consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages can be prosecuted and everything associated with such a violation can be confiscated, including personal property.
• Parents can be sued if they give alcohol to anyone under 21 and they in turn hurt someone, hurt themselves or damage property.

Parents can protect themselves and their teens by following these guidelines when hosting parties for their children:

• Host safe, alcohol-free activities and events for youth this holiday season
• Refuse to supply alcohol to children or allow drinking in your home or on your property
• Be at home when your teenager has a party
• Make sure your teenager’s friends do not bring alcohol into your home
• Talk to other parents about not providing alcohol at youth events
• Report underage drinking

The consequences of alcohol in the young body are many. Surveys of adolescents suggest that alcohol use is associated with risky sexual behavior and increased vulnerability to coercive sexual activity. Young drinkers are more likely to fall prey to other types of risky behavior and victimization.

In Anderson , t he average age of a child’s first drink is now 13, and by senior year in high school, nearly 50% are regular drinkers (having drank in the past 30 days). While many believe that underage drinking is an inevitable "rite of passage" that adolescents can easily recover from because their bodies are more resilient, the opposite is true. According to a report in the Journal of Substance Abuse, more than 40% of individuals who start drinking around age 13 will develop alcohol abuse problems later in life.

The “Parents Who Host” campaign will commence as teens begin this year’s winter break and continue through prom and graduation season in the spring.

For more information on what parents can do log onto:

- The Partnership for a Drug Free America – www.intervenenow.org