Social host ordinance will help plug keggers

From the Modesto Bee.

Several recent events should be a community wake-up to the extent and seriousness of underage drinking:

The death of a 19-year-old Modestan last weekend believed to be the result of alcohol poisoning. He had been drinking rum, celebrating a planned move to Colorado.

Charges pending against a Grayson woman accused of hosting parties for teens — and having sexual relations with two boys.

The police investigation of a Beyer High dad who allegedly bought kegs of beer for his 17-year-old son's party with friends.

Tuesday, the Modesto City Council will consider a Police Department proposal for a city ordinance that would fine people for hosting underage drinking parties. The timing is not coincidental. Authorities would like to have the law in place before the graduation season and end-of-the-school parties.

Many parents and other adults have developed a relaxed attitude about teenage drinking — that it's inevitable, that it's better than drugs, that it's something everyone does at that age.

Parents know their teens are drinking, suggests one 18-year-old, but they don't want to ask about it. Many teens don't consider their own drinking a problem because they only drink on weekends and don't drink alone.

But studies suggest binge drinking is frighteningly common. Just last week, the U.S. surgeon general spoke on the issue. "Too many Americans consider underage drinking a rite of passage to adulthood," said Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu. "Research shows that young people who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life. New research also indicates that alcohol may harm the developing adolescent brain."

Of particular concern locally and nationally is binge drinking — teens who consume four or five drinks within an hour or two. Some teens think nothing of it, not realizing they end up too impaired to drive and possibly put themselves at risk of alcohol poisoning.

Under the proposed Modesto ordinance, adults who host or permit gatherings at which minors are allowed to drink could be fined $500. The penalties would increase to $1,000 for the second and $1,500 for the third offense within 12 months. The ordinance is modeled after one used in other areas of California. The ordinance specifically excludes family gatherings.

A social host ordinance won't cure underage drinking, but it's one step to deter it. Adults who abet and condone something that is illegal and unhealthy should face some consequences.

The Modesto council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the basement of Tenth Street Place. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 7.