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Zero Tolerance Makes Zero Sense [VA and RI Parents get jail time for allowing underage drinking]
Washington Post ^ | Aug 9, 2005 | Radley Balko, CATO INSTITUTE

Posted on 08/12/2005 12:12:55 PM PDT by summer

... Many parents have decided to take a realist's approach. They're throwing parties for their kids and their friends. They serve alcohol at these parties, but they also collect car keys to make sure no one drives home until the next morning. Their logic makes sense: The kids are going to drink; it's better that they do it in a controlled, supervised environment.

...For this the Andersons found themselves arrested and charged with supplying alcohol to minors...

In fact, the Andersons were lucky. A couple in Virginia was recently sentenced to 27 months in jail for throwing a supervised party for their son's 16th birthday, at which beer was made available. That was reduced on appeal from the eight-year sentenced imposed by the trial judge. ...Parents would risk jail time and a fine of $1,000 per underage drinker.

... The question, then, is do we want them drinking in their cars, in parking lots, in vacant lots and in rented motel rooms? Or do we want them drinking at parties with adult supervision, where they're denied access to the roads once they enter?

The Virginia case mentioned above is troubling for another reason: The cops raided that home without a search warrant. This is becoming more and more common in jurisdictions with particularly militant approaches to underage drinking. A prosecutor in Wisconsin popularized the practice in the late 1990s when he authorized deputies to enter private residences without warrants, "by force, if necessary," when there was the slightest suspicion of underage drinking....

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Rhode Island; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: alcohol; cato; jail; kids; parenting; parents; underagedrinking
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The article explains how the RI father collected car keys and the kids had to stay overnight, and could not leave until the next morning. How many kids might have wanted to go to this party and NOT drink and NOT stay overnight? The article doesn't say.

The article also does not disclose that 50% of the population does not drink at all. I don't think parents should be hosting these parties. There are plenty of ways to help kids celebrate prom night without resorting to serving alcohol to underage kids. Ever hear of dancing?

BTW -- as to the author of this article, who seems sympathetic to the parents, in that he supports their decision to serve alcohol:

The writer is a policy analyst for the Cato Institute and author of the study "Back Door to Prohibition: The New War on Social Drinking."
1 posted on 08/12/2005 12:12:56 PM PDT by summer
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To: All

PS I know of many towns celebrating prom nights inside the local YMCA, with total adult supervision, and kids dancing, plus there's video games, door prizes and food, etc.; and guess what - no alcohol. And, the kids have fun. So, it's possible.


2 posted on 08/12/2005 12:14:57 PM PDT by summer
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To: summer

Libertairian whining if you ask me...underage drinking is against the law as is serving it to them. If the cops get a call of a party or see kids puking on the lawn then they have the right to suspect a crime has been committed.

What about the parents who don't want their kids drinking? And please tell me what good ever comes of having teenagers and alcohol together in one place?


3 posted on 08/12/2005 12:16:47 PM PDT by misterrob
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To: summer

So this this Father-of-the-Year candidate tell all the other parents that he was having a beer bash for their underage kids?


4 posted on 08/12/2005 12:16:53 PM PDT by atomicpossum (Replies should be as pedantic as possible. I love that so much.)
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To: summer

The fact that the parents are breaking the law by serving alcohol to minors should be cause enough to land them in jail, IMHO.

I don't care what precautions they take to see that the kids don't drive.

We throw teenage parties all the time. Mountain Dew and Coke seem to keep them happy. (However, an errant teen will occasionally sneek in some Red Bull, LOL...yuck, I don't know how they can drink that stuff, it smells so bad.)


5 posted on 08/12/2005 12:16:53 PM PDT by dawn53
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To: summer

I'm right there with you that the parents should not be hosting these parties, but I'm worried about police being able to force entry into the houses just because of suspicion of underage drinking. That's getting into jackboot territory.

}:-)4


6 posted on 08/12/2005 12:16:59 PM PDT by Moose4 (Newsflash: It's the South. In the summer. IT GETS HOT. DEAL WITH IT.)
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To: summer

We celebrated H.S. graduation by being locked in the H.S. for the night with "adult" supervision.
No alcohol, but a lot folks dropped acid....


7 posted on 08/12/2005 12:17:54 PM PDT by dakine
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To: summer
Ever hear of dancing?

Dancing! Dancing! Do you know what dancing leads too?

8 posted on 08/12/2005 12:18:19 PM PDT by Phantom Lord (Fall on to your knees for the Phantom Lord)
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To: misterrob
"And please tell me what good ever comes of having teenagers and alcohol together in one place?

A party? You remember those?

9 posted on 08/12/2005 12:19:56 PM PDT by dakine
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To: Moose4

My thoughts exactly.


10 posted on 08/12/2005 12:20:11 PM PDT by stylin_geek (Liberalism: comparable to a chicken with its head cut off, but with more spastic motions)
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To: summer
I'd rather have my kids smoking crack at home where I can keep an eye on them than doing it on the street.

Anyone who does not recognize the above as sarcasm should stick their finger into an electric wall socket immediately.

11 posted on 08/12/2005 12:20:39 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Koran 9:123 "Make war on the infidels who dwell around you.")
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To: summer

What are these parents using for brains?


12 posted on 08/12/2005 12:20:47 PM PDT by pobodys nerfect
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To: Phantom Lord
Dancing! Dancing! Do you know what dancing leads too?

No! People must not move their bodies in sensuous ways outside of the confines of the home.

Kudos to the parents for attempting to sanely control something that was going to occur anyhow. Send the irresponsible offenders to jail; let parents like these off with a slap on the wrist.
13 posted on 08/12/2005 12:21:34 PM PDT by July 4th (A vacant lot cancelled out my vote for Bush.)
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To: summer

Nice, all you blue nose tea-totallers.

Question.

How many of the almost 2,000 troops killed in Iraq and Afganistan were "just too young to drink"?

In your Humble Opinion?

Just a question.


14 posted on 08/12/2005 12:22:57 PM PDT by Al Gator (Remember to pillage BEFORE you burn!)
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To: Al Gator
How many of the almost 2,000 troops killed in Iraq and Afganistan were "just too young to drink"?

Six, Mr. Moore.

15 posted on 08/12/2005 12:26:27 PM PDT by atomicpossum (Replies should be as pedantic as possible. I love that so much.)
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To: summer

Your Eighteen.

You can vote for the President of the United States.

You can take a weapon and kill for your country.

You can get your ass shot off for your country. And your arms, and you legs, and lose your eyesight and your hearing.

But you're just too irresponsible to drink a beer.

Make me sick.


16 posted on 08/12/2005 12:26:46 PM PDT by Al Gator (Remember to pillage BEFORE you burn!)
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To: atomicpossum

Communist.


17 posted on 08/12/2005 12:27:31 PM PDT by Al Gator (Remember to pillage BEFORE you burn!)
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To: summer

1 - The main point is that police can search premises without a warrant in accordance with local ordinance - THIS is as much of a problem as irresponsible/absent parents.

2 - Starbucks Doubleshots.


18 posted on 08/12/2005 12:28:10 PM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
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To: misterrob

"underage drinking is against the law as is serving it to the"

No it isn't - not in every state. Minors can drink with permission of parents in many states. If all the parents of the children at the party agreed to allow them to drink, and one or more set of parents were on hand to supervise, it shouldn't really be a problem.

This country's idiotic attitude towards minors and alcohol causes more problems than it solves. Minors should be taught how to responsibly drink, not be kept from some forbidden fruit they think will make them cool and popular.


19 posted on 08/12/2005 12:28:24 PM PDT by flashbunny (Always remember to bring a towel!)
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To: Al Gator
Communist.

Susan.

20 posted on 08/12/2005 12:29:07 PM PDT by atomicpossum (Replies should be as pedantic as possible. I love that so much.)
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