Addressing Underage Drinking

Underage drinking is not just a youth problem. It is also very much an adult problem. Adults continue to allow those under the legal drinking age to drink—illegally—by selling alcohol to those under 21, providing or purchasing alcohol,  looking the other way when teens openly talk about their drinking exploits, and refusing to hold other adults and youth accountable for breaking the law.

We, as a community, have to send a strong and consistent message that underage alcohol use is illegal and will not be tolerated.  We also have to hold youth and adults accountable when they break the law.

Why do some people believe it is wrong for adults to deal illicit drugs to teens, but OK for an adult to provide alcohol to those under 21? It is just as illegal—and harmful. The fact is alcohol is the No. 1 youth drug problem in America and more young people die from alcohol-related causes than from all other illicit drugs combined. (1)

Until we treat underage alcohol for the public health problem it is, there will continue to be teen drinking problems. Underage drinking is everybody’s responsibility and there are many things that need to be done to address the problem.

Increase Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws
While many states and communities still need more life-saving laws, many would be better suited by simply increasing enforcement of existing laws. (2) Increased enforcement is an immediate and effective solution to reducing underage drinking and other alcohol-related problems such as domestic violence, sexual assault, suicide, homicide and traffic crashes.

These laws include:

• Zero Tolerance Laws
• Minor in Possession (MIP) laws
• Sale of alcohol to those under 21
• Social host laws
• Drinking and driving laws
• Public intoxication for those underage

Helping to increase enforcement is about holding adults and youth accountable for illegal and harmful actions. And you can help by supporting law enforcement officers by contacting the police to report:

• underage drinking parties
• a business that sells alcohol to those under 21
• impaired drivers
• adults who knowingly provide alcohol to minors

Some other things you can do to help increase enforcement is to:

• Thank and encourage officers to continue enforcing underage drinking laws at roll call briefings (meetings held before every officer’s shift)
• Volunteer for law enforcement recognition events
• Assist at a sobriety checkpoint
• Volunteer for fundraising drives to purchase much-needed equipment for officers
• Write a letter to the editor or op-ed piece in your local paper in support of law enforcement and to encourage increased enforcement

Keeping Alcohol Away from Teens
The widespread availability and access to alcohol fuels the underage drinking problem. Teens drink because they can and because alcohol is readily available to them. Your community probably provides ample opportunities for minors to get alcohol. By eliminating this access, there will be a reduction in youth alcohol-related problems such poor school performance, poor athletic performance, risky sexual behavior, stealing, violence, problems at home, unintentional injuries, car crashes, arrests and even suicide.  If teens can’t get alcohol, they can’t drink it. 

Some ways you can help keep alcohol away from teens is:

• Report underage drinking parties.
• Keep adults legally accountable for providing alcohol to teens.
• Ensure social host city and county ordinances are in place and enforced to keep adults accountable if they provide alcohol to youth in social settings.
• Help close the loopholes in many states’ underage drinking laws by participating in community coalitions to prohibit the use of fake IDs as well as the possession, purchase, attempt to purchase and consumption of alcohol for those under 21.
• Strengthen compliance check programs (checking for proper ID) for stores and restaurants that sell alcohol.
• Develop and increase dram shop liability laws (laws governing bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to those under 21 or over-serving adults).
• Develop and increase social host laws (laws governing those over 21 who serve or provide alcohol to minors).
• Implement enforcement efforts targeting underage drinking parties.
• Contact the local MADD affiliate to volunteer for underage drinking prevention  programs

Adopt Model Legislation
While enforcement of existing laws is key to reducing underage drinking, if a law doesn’t exist in your state, it cannot be enforced. That is why ensuring tough underage drinking laws are on the books is so critical. And the first step is to fix the loopholes in the underage drinking laws that exist in most every state. Click here to see what the underage drinking law loopholes are in your state.

The most successful laws are those that limit youth access to alcohol—either from a retail or social availability standpoint. You can work with your local MADD office or community coalition(s) to get model legislation introduced and enacted in your communities.