May 25, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
During this busy time of graduations, celebrations, and parties, the message is clear: Providing and/or serving alcohol to anyone under age 21 is not only against the law; underage drinking can result in injury, death, stiff fines, criminal charges, imprisonment, lawsuits, and untold grief to the families involved.
According to the Massachusetts Social Host Law, anyone who knowingly furnishes alcohol to a person under 21 years of age is committing a crime — punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, imprisonment for up to a year, or both.
A parent or their child may be charged criminally for allowing underage guests to drink or possess alcohol at their home or other property that they control.
In order to be found guilty under the Social Host Law, the Commonwealth must prove that a parent or their child knowingly or intentionally supplied, gave, provided, or allowed minors to possess alcohol at their home or other property under their control.
A civil lawsuit may also result. Civil judgments can amount to millions of dollars.
A criminal or juvenile record can prevent a person from getting a job or joining the military. Bad decisions can also jeopardize a student’s involvement in school activities, clubs, and sports as well as college admissions and financial aid.
“It’s not worth it,” Hingham DARE Officer Rob Ramsey told the Hingham Anchor. “People are responsible for what occurs on their property. Ignorance is no excuse.”
Ramsey suggests parents take a proactive approach and talk with their children as soon as possible to inform them in no uncertain terms what the consequences can be if the law is broken.
“They should know who their kids are hanging around with and where they are going and not assume other parents have the same rules,” he said. “It’s important to talk about these important issues with your children to come up with a plan in the event they end up in a risky situation. Kids will mimic their parents, who need to show responsibility, too.”
Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz shared the following message with the Hingham Anchor. “Homecomings, proms, and graduations are here or right around the corner. As district attorney, I have unfortunately seen firsthand families torn apart by a poor decision made involving drugs or alcohol after a party or prom. It is never too early to start talking to children about making responsible and healthy decisions in celebration. There are some adults who believe it is acceptable for teens to drink alcohol if used in moderation or under supervision. It is not, and it is illegal. Parents need to be responsible and lead by example when it comes to decisions about drugs and alcohol.”
Some parents believe that providing a place for teenagers to drink in their home where they can be supervised will keep them safe.
However, if teenagers consume alcohol at a supervised party and some or all of the teens have left the home, the responsibility of the “social host” does not end there. It’s impossible to predict situations and related consequences that could develop if a minor has been drinking in one’s home and then leaves.
A parent may be held financially responsible if their child or underage guest injures another person or himself or herself after having consumed alcohol if the parent controlled the supply of the alcohol, made it available, or served it.
It’s incumbent on parents to educate their children about the dangers of underage drinking and the consequences of drinking and driving and other poor decisions.
Stiff penalties are also associated with people under 21 years of age who purchase alcohol for themselves or others or use a fake ID to make such a purchase; minors in possession of, or who transport, alcoholic beverages or who sell, deliver, or furnish alcohol to a person under 21 years of age; motor vehicle homicide; operating under the influence of alcohol; and OUI causing serious bodily injury.
The Social Host Responsibility Law was enacted in Massachusetts in 2000, four years after 18-year-old Gregory Smith of Marshfield was killed in a car crash after leaving a graduation party in Cohasset. His blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit.
A Cohasset businessman who hosted the party was acquitted of providing alcohol to a minor.
To reiterate Ramsey’s message: “It’s not worth it.”
Go to https://plymouthda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/social-host.pdf and https://www.mass.gov/doc/social-host-law-information-for-parents/download for more information.