4 Troubled Teens Blog

Nearly two dozen cities in Minnesota have law about "social hosting." These laws hold adults accountable for providing alcohol to underage drinkers. But another Minnesota city may soon have a more serious regulation on the books.

Chaska was the first area city to pass such a law, in 2007. Adults there who host gatherings and "know or reasonably should know" that minors are drinking can be arrested.

But Minnetonka would prosecute adults who host gatherings where conditions are "ripe" for underage drinking but don't take steps to stop it." (Source: The Star-Tribune)

The challenge with the ordinance in Chaska, and others like it, is that the adult has to know an underage person could or would consume alcohol. The Minnetonka law removes that challenge, making adults easier to prosecute when they're complicit in allowing a situation to develop in which underage drinking is likely.

Though some parents mistakenly believe that alcohol is a relatively harmless substance, the truth is that teen drinking is a dangerous activity that puts young people at increased risk for a wide range of problems.

Labels: parental_involvement, laws, teenagers, alcohol_abuse

Posted By: Aspen/CRC