Parents Should Can “Safe Drinking” at Teen House Parties

Lt. Matt Johnson

Parents making party preparations for their teen’s prom or graduation should can the “safe drinking” idea of serving alcohol to teens under their own supervision. Hosting a party where alcohol is available to underage youth is illegal and can pose serious health risks and legal ramifications for everyone involved. “Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking”.

The Greenhills Police Department is working in partnership with Ohio Parents for Drug Free Youth to launch the “Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” public awareness campaign in Greenhills. The campaign informs parents and other adults about the legal ramifications and health and safety risks of serving alcohol to teens. The campaign’s message seeks to overturn parents’ idea of “safe drinking” and educate them about the consequences of breaking the law. Parents who knowingly allow a person under age 21 to remain on their property while consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages can be prosecuted and face jail sentencing, fines and / or loss of property.

Research shows that adolescents drink less and have fewer alcohol-related problems when their parents discipline them consistently and set clear expectations. “Parents are the best protectors that young people have against underage drinking. It is important for them to present the clear message that there is no safe way to drink alcohol,” says campaign spokesperson Mrs. Hope Taft, First Lady of Ohio.

The “Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” campaign is a program of Ohio Parents for Drug Free Youth with funding from the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services and in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Public Safety. For more information visit www.ohioparents.org.