High School graduation season is upon us. That means lots of celebrations. But a local district attorney is reminding parents, those shouldn't include alcohol or marijuana for underage people.
Some parents believe allowing teenagers to drink at their homes, while collecting the car keys, is a safer option. But that's illegal under state law. So is providing alcohol or marijuana to people under 21-years-old, which is punishable with up to a $2,000 fine or imprisonment for up to one year, or both, could result.
Parents can also face legal consequences if they allow alcohol and drug use on their property, even if they are not home.
Curtis Frick is the chief of the Hampden District Attorney’s juvenile unit. He said the risks of underage consumption go beyond drinking and driving--including injuries from falls.
"Whether it's off of stairs, or out in the woods or even over balconies, wherever it might be, causing head injuries or broken bones or other injuries associated with just having having diminished sense and judgement," he said.
He said underage drinking could also lead to fights, property damage or other crimes. There is also the risk of alcohol poisoning.
And Frick added parents who enable underage drinking could also be opening themselves up to being sued if someone gets hurt as a result. But he said, there is also a fear from parents of putting a damper on the celebration.
"A lot of parents have the peer pressure that 'I'm not going to be the parent that kind of ruins my child's senior year," he said.
Frick said it is important for parents to talk to their teenagers about their plans, perhaps as a deterrent from unsafe behavior.
"That communication is really critical about where they are going to be, what are they going to be doing, what adults are going to be at the premises if their kids are going to a party," Frick said.
There is, of course, the risk of drinking and driving when teenagers are not in a supervised environment, something the Hampden D.A.’s office highlights during its annual “Stop the Swerve” outreach program.