It is graduation season. College and high school seniors are saying good-bye to their friends, school, moving forward with life and all its wonderment. Celebrations abound! Parents are hosting parties in backyards, at churches, country clubs and parks in honor of their student’s accomplishments. Relatives and friends attending to rejoice in the graduate’s future and a toast to a grand send off into the world.
How do you celebrate? Is your party you are hosting going to be dry? I have attended dry parties, parties where only those over 21 years of age imbibed, and I have attended parties where the parents collected the car keys of the under-aged and they were allowed to partake in alcoholic beverages. Parties that allow teenagers to celebrate with alcohol make me uncomfortable.
During my children’s teen years, I did not have alcohol in my house. I know that sounds drastic to some parents. I did not want any temptation for my children or their friends. In my high school sophomore year a party at a student’s house when the parents went out of town ended in the death of a classmate. That one night left an impression on me that I did not want my children to experience.
The fact is: It is illegal to provide alcohol to a minor. Furnishing alcohol to a Minor in Pennsylvania carries a $1,000 fine. It is a misdemeanor offense. The punishments can also include probation and possibly even jail time. These laws also apply to parents who have provided alcoholic drinks to their children at home.
Underage Drinking in PA is a non-traffic summary offense and if convicted it goes on both your driving record and your criminal history. This can cause many complications later on in life including higher car insurance premiums and higher scrutiny by employers who conduct background checks.
The Legal Penalties for Underage Drinking in Pennsylvania include:
Up to 90 days incarceration
· First offense – 90 day suspended driver’s license
· Second offense – 1 year suspension
· Third offense – 2 year suspension
For those over 21, drinking and driving have many consequences that go beyond the law. It can exclude you from your dream job. It may drain your financial resources when you are just starting out in the world. The legal consequences for Pensylvanians can be found at http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/legislation/dui.shtml.
When you are preparing to celebrate the accomplishments of your graduate remember SADD.org. SADD has a Contract for Life: one for high school graduates and one for college graduates. There is also a contract that parents sign. Helping our children to make healthy decisions about difficult choices they face now may save their future.
Congratulations to all our graduates. Stay safe you are the future. In the words of Baz Lurhman, “Wear sunscreen.”
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