Underage Drinking is Not a Rite of Passage - It Is A Crime 

by Heather Marvin, Youth Resource Liaison, Churchill Community Coalition -- Generation after generation our country has deemed underage drinking as a “Rite of Passage” on the way to adulthood. What many do not realize is that providing alcohol to minors is a crime. As graduation approaches, many adults may be tempted to host parties for their teen graduate where alcohol is easily accessible. Underage drinking is a serious public health problem in the US, with alcohol being the most widely used and accessible substance of abuse in our teens. In Churchill County, 60% of high school youth surveyed reported ever having used alcohol (Youth Risk and Behavior Surveillance Survey, 2017). Drinking is dangerous. It impairs judgement and leads to poor decision making, increases risky behavior, sexual activities (rape, unprotected sex), car crashes, suicide/homicide, and alcohol poisoning. Teens run a greater risk of developing addictions the younger they start as their brains are still developing and continue to do so well into their 20s. Alcohol and/or substance abuse can alter the brains structure and function. Multiple studies have shown that depicting alcohol in movies and popular TV shows can have an influential impact on teens drinking. So why are the producers of these more lax about the issue of underage drinking when it is a bigger problem than ever?  Could it be that a majority of adults have accepted underage drinking as an inevitable rite of passage and not realize that by holding on to this belief, that they are perpetuating underage use? Youth alcohol and substance abuse increases when youth believe that underage drinking and substance use are accepted by their parents and other adults, with 90% of all alcohol and substance addictions starting in the teenage years. The consequences of underage drinking can affect everyone. Our community can feel the effects of the aggressive behavior, property damage, violence, injuries, or deaths that can result from underage drinking. It shouldn’t take the loss of life due to underage drinking to wake us up to the dangers. So, before you plan that awesome graduation party that will make you the most popular parent in town, think about the consequences. Parents who host, lose the most. Remind your teens that there is a Zero Tolerance Law for underage drinking and driving, and it is not only strict, but severe as well -- they could go to jail for 2 days to 6 months. Some schools and universities will impose their own penalties for students and prospective students who get DUI convictions. These sanctions may include expulsion, suspension, or disqualification from applying, and loss of scholarships. Nevada law prohibits adults from buying or providing alcohol to a minor, and the Nevada Revised Statute states: NRS 202.055 Sale or furnishing of alcoholic beverage to minor; aiding minor to purchase or procure alcoholic beverage; policy to prevent minor from obtaining alcoholic beverage through use of Internet.

1. Every person who knowingly:

(a) Sells, gives or otherwise furnishes an alcoholic beverage to any person under 21 years  of age; (b) Leaves or deposits any alcoholic beverage in any place with the intent that it will be procured by any person under 21 years of age; or (c) Furnishes, gives, or causes to be given any money or thing of value to any person under 21 years of age with the knowledge that the money or thing of value is to be used by the person under 21 years of age to purchase or procure any alcoholic beverage, is guilty of a misdemeanor. For more information and to view the complete NRS 202.055, visit https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRs/NRS-202.html#NRS202Sec055   Support local, independent news – contribute to The Fallon Post, your non-profit (501c3) online news source for all things Fallon. Never miss the local news -- read more on The Fallon Post home page.