Here’s the kicker, however. The parents can be held responsible even if they are out of town and unaware of an alcohol-infused party going on in their residence, hundreds, maybe thousands, of miles away.
It’s good to hold parents accountable, but the Mercer Island law goes too far. Parents should not face a fine if they have no way of knowing the law is being broken in their home.
The so-called “social host” law in Mercer Island is believed to be the first of its kind in the state. Officials there are hoping the idea spreads across Washington.
Make no mistake: Teenage drinking is a serious problem.
Statistics from the 2010 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey in Thurston County show:
• About 15 percent of eighth-graders reported having a drink in the past 30 days.
• About 28 percent of 10th-graders reported having a drink in the last month.
• Almost 40 percent of 12th-graders reported having a drink in the past 30 days.
• Also, about 40 percent of 12th-graders say their parents have never talked to them about why they should not drink alcohol.
• About 35 percent of students who reported drinking in the past month say they got their alcohol from home, either with or without permission (average of grades eight, 10 and 12).
The good news in the Healthy Youth Survey is that most teens in Thurston County are not consuming alcohol. But with 40 percent of high school seniors drinking – and many of those getting their alcohol from home – this is a serious social concern.
Officials at Together, the local grassroots organization focused on the health and safety of South Sound children, say that children are less likely to drink when parents are involved with their lives. Youngsters say that parental disapproval of underage drinking is the key reason they have chosen not to drink. Yet as the health survey shows, 40 percent of the Thurston County students say their parents have never talked to them about the dangers of underage drinking.
Together offers these guidelines for parents:
• Talk to your children about why it is important for them not to drink.
• Set clear, specific rules about what you expect.
• Be consistent when enforcing rules and use appropriate consequences.
• Be a positive role model and do not participate in unhealthy practices regarding alcohol.
• Know what your kids are doing and who they’re with.
• Recognize good behavior.
• Pledge to allow no underage drinking on your property.
It’s that last point – home consumption – that Mercer Island officials are attacking with their new law. Starting last Friday, people who own, rent or lease property where teenage drinking happens can be fined $250.
It is already illegal for adults to provide alcohol to minors or for parents to let their underage children drink. Under state law, providing alcohol to minors is a gross misdemeanor, with a potential penalty of $5,000 and a year in jail.
Mercer Island City Councilmember Mike Cero says the new ordinance takes the idea of parent responsibility a step further.
“What makes this different is that the parents don’t have to have any knowledge of wrongdoing to be held accountable,” he said. “They could be in Timbuktu (and) have no knowledge of alcohol being consumed.”
While acknowledging the ordinance is a bit extreme, Cero said that’s what’s required because concerns about underage drinking outweigh the possible infringement on personal liberties. He argued parents have a duty to make sure their children are acting safely.
We agree that parents are responsible for the safety of their children. But the infringement on personal liberties concerns us more than it apparently does the members of the Mercer Island City Council. It boggles the mind that parents can be held responsible for a violation of the law that is clearly beyond their control.
The goal of the council members – reducing teen access and consumption of alcohol – is admirable. But the focus of the teen drinking law should be parents who knowingly provide alcohol to minors. Throw the book at them, not the parents on vacation who have no knowledge of illegal activity at home.
