News Release
For Immediate Release: March 19, 2009
Contact Person: Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, 301-334-7730
“Parents Who Host, Lose the Most” Campaign Underway
Parents play a major role in their children's choices about alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. In a recent national survey of parents and teens by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University one-third of partygoers have been to parties where teens were drinking alcohol, smoking pot or using cocaine or prescription drugs while a parent was present. By age 17, nearly half (46%) of teens have been at such parties where parents were present.
The Garrett County Health Department, the Garrett County Combating Underage Drinking Committee, and the Garrett County Drug and Alcohol Council are joining forces to promote the public awareness campaign “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don't be a party to teenage drinking.” This campaign will provide parents with accurate information about the health risks of underage drinking and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to youth. It also encourages parents and the community to send a unified message at prom and graduation time that teen alcohol consumption is not acceptable. It is illegal, unsafe, and unhealthy for anyone under age 21 to drink alcohol.
Here are the facts:
- 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.
The “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don't be a party to teenage drinking” campaign is a program of the Drug-Free Action Alliance. The local campaign is funded by the Drug Free Communities grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Combating Underage Drinking grant from the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention. For more information, contact the Garrett County Health Department at 301-334-7730 or 301-895-3111 or visit the Drug-Free Action Alliance's website at www.DrugFreeActionAlliance.org .