Legislators Jim Maisano (R/New Rochelle) and Vito Pinto (D/Eastchester) are pleased to announce the passage last night of the “Social Host Law,” which they introduced earlier this year to help combat underage drinking in Westchester County.
The law, which the Board of Legislators approved by a vote of 15-1 and takes effect immediately, penalizes any adult that hosts or knowingly allows a party where alcoholic beverages are consumed by minors.
“We proposed this law because there is an overwhelming consensus from experts that underage drinking is a severe social problem in Westchester, and this law was strongly supported by law enforcement and advocates like Mothers Against Drunk Driving,” Maisano said. “We have now made a bold statement that adults can no longer evade responsibility for this problem since they now must take action to stop underage drinking in their homes.”
“We have read too many articles about kids risking injury and death because parents act like friends rather than responsible adults,” Pinto said. “After hearing proponents and opponents we still really believe this law will help protect teenagers from the dangers of alcohol abuse and will undoubtedly save a kid’s life.”
Under the Social Host Law, where an adult knowingly allows a party, gathering or event in their home where minors are present and drinking alcohol, and that adult fails to take corrective action to stop the illegal activity, he or she could be fined between $250 and $1,000. Repeated offenses could result in jail time.
The Social Host Law, which was the subject of months of debate, does not apply to certain situations, such as where a parent has given his or her minor child alcohol; where alcohol is used as part of an approved education program; and where alcohol is consumed by a minor for religious purposes.
Similar laws have been passed across the state, including in Nassau and Suffolk, and are being debated by the New York State Legislature.
“Our research clearly indicated that the current state law contained a loophole allowing adults to host underage drinking parties in their homes, and this loophole opened the door to widespread occurrences of drinking incidents in Westchester that have led to dangerous behavior, such as drunk driving, fighting and sexual abuses,” Maisano said. “I remember seeing the same destructive acts occurring at similar parties when I was a teenager and strongly believed we had to take action to address this issue.”
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