Underage Drinking

Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are six times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years.

The legal age to drink alcohol is 21 years old, yet many teens try alcohol much earlier and for several reasons:

As a way to fit in or they feel the need to give in to peer pressure.

They like the way drinking alcohol makes them feel, unaware of the strong addicting effect alcohol has on their adolescent brain.

They feel that drinking alcohol makes them more grown up, parents may even feed into this fallacy by providing alcohol, thinking it is a rite of passage.

Although we may think that it is “only” alcohol, it is important to remember that alcohol is a powerful mood-altering drug. Teen’s minds and bodies still developing at this stage of life. Due to brain development, at this time in their life teens also lack judgment and coping skills to handle alcohol wisely, putting them at a higher risk for sexual violence, aggression, motor vehicle accidents and mental illness (depression/anxiety/suicide).

For more: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm

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Health Effects

Scientific evidence from several studies shows that the early use of alcohol has a negative impact for adolescents. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration stated that youth who start drinking before the age of are six times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at the age of 21 or later. One of the possible reasons for this phenomenon is that the adolescent brain is not fully developed until the age of 24, so early consumption of alcohol can have a negative impact in the brain’s developmental stages including an increased number of health related issues later life.

Youth who drink alcohol are more likely to experience

School problems, such as higher absence and poor or failing grades.
Social problems, such as fighting and lack of participation in youth activities.
Legal problems, such as arrest for driving or physically hurting someone while drunk.
Physical problems, such as hangovers or illnesses.
Unwanted, unplanned, and unprotected sexual activity.
Disruption of normal growth and sexual development.
Physical and sexual assault.
Higher risk for suicide and homicide.
Alcohol-related car crashes and other unintentional injuries, such as burns, falls, and drowning.
Memory problems.
Abuse of other drugs.
Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects.
Death from alcohol poisoning.

Legal FAQ

What is a Private Property Ordinance?

It is a law that makes it illegal for any person under the legal age to consume alcoholic drinks on private property. The Private Property Ordinance does not make it illegal to furnish alcohol to individuals under the age of 21. That’s already illegal. The ordinance makes it illegal to provide alcohol on private property, regardless of who provides the alcohol (except for religious reasons with the permission and in the presence of a parent or legal guardian).

What happens if I find underage drinkers at my property?

How can I report teenage drinking?

Will a parent face criminal consequences for allowing a minor child to consume alcohol in the privacy of their home?

If my child is arrested and found guilty, will this go on his/her permanent record?

How is the Private Property Ordinance enforced? What are the penalties?

When Secaucus Police Department officers respond to an event where underage persons are gathering and through the normal course of an investigation determine underage alcohol possession or consumption exists, the individual host of the event can be issued a citation and charged with violating the Town’s Private Property Ordinance.

Individuals who purposely or knowingly offer or serve or make available an alcoholic beverage to a person under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages or entices or encourages that person to drink an alcoholic beverage is a disorderly person and shall, upon conviction, be fined $1,000 and/or six months in jail. A person may also be held liable for injuries sustained by third parties as a result of the minor guest’s negligence.

See the table below for more information regarding both Secaucus and New Jersey regulations.

Action

Consequences

It is the contiguous duty of the parent of any minor to exercise reasonable control to prevent the minor from committing any delinquent act. No parent or guardian shall fail to exercise reasonable parental control. An adjudication that said minor has violated a provision of this code which is a misdemeanor or a finding that said minor is responsible for a violation of this code which is deemed a civil infraction shall be evidence that said parent or guardian failed to exercise reasonable parental control.

Pursuant to the violation of this code, the parent/guardian of minor shall be held civilly responsible for the damages caused by the commission of any delinquent act within the Town of Secaucus.

(Secaucus Municipal Code Chapter 96 Parental Responsibility)

1^st Conviction: the parent shall be subject to a fine of not less than seventy-five dollars ($75), nor more than one hundred dollars ($100).

2^nd Conviction: the parent shall be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100), nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), and in addition, shall be sentenced to probation with the condition that the parent participate in, through completion, a court approved, community based treatment program (such as parenting skills, family services, employment and training etc.) or, at the discretion of the court, be imprisoned for a period of up to thirty (30) days.

3^rd and subsequent convictions: the parent shall be subject to a fine of not less than two hundred dollars ($200), nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), and at the discretion of the court, imprisoned for a period of up to ninety (90) days.

(Secaucus Municipal Code Chapter 96-5 Parental Responsibility, Parental violation and Penalty)

NJ law prohibits anyone from purposely or knowingly offering or serving or making available an alcoholic beverage to a person under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages or enticing that person to drink an alcoholic beverage

(N.J.S.A. §2C:33-17a)

Disorderly Person offense (up to 6 months in jail, and up to $1,000 fine)

A person who makes real property owned, leased or managed by him available to, or leaves the property in the care of, another person with the purpose that alcoholic beverages will be made available for consumption by, or will be consumed by, persons who are under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages is guilty of a disorderly persons offense.

(N.J.S.A. §2C:33-17b)

Disorderly Person offense (up to 6 months in jail, and up to $1,000 fine)

Are there any exceptions?

Will I be criminally responsible if my child hosts a party at my home where underage drinking takes place without my knowledge?

Can law enforcement enter my house without permission?

Why should I care about the Private Property Ordinance?

Why does this ordinance target parties that occur on private residences and premises?

Parties and gatherings on private property have repeatedly been identified as the primary source by which youth obtain alcohol. By reducing the number of these gatherings, we can hope to reduce the amount of access minors have to alcohol.

Action

Consequences

Any person under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages who knowingly possesses or consumes any alcoholic beverage in or on any school property, public conveyance, public place or public assembly or on private property shall be in violation of this Article.

(Secaucus Municipal Code Chapter 47-30 Underage Drinking Prohibited)

Upon conviction, such underage person shall be subject to a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.) for a first offense and three hundred fifty dollars ($350.) for any subsequent offense; perform community service for a period not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days; at the discretion of the court, have a New Jersey driving privilege suspended or postponed for up to six (6) months; and, if considered necessary by the court, be referred to an alcohol treatment program at the defendant's expense.

(Secaucus Municipal Code Chapter 47-30 Underage Drinking Prohibited)

Any person under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages who knowingly possess without legal authority or who knowingly consumes any alcoholic beverages in any school, public conveyance, public place, or place of public assembly, or motor vehicle, is guilty of a disorderly persons offence

(N.J.S.A. §2C:33-15 1a )

Fined not less than $500.00

Additionally, the court may require any person who violates this act to participate in an alcohol education or treatment program

(N.J.S.A. §2C:33-15 1a )

Upon conviction, such underage person shall be subject to a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.) for a first offense and three hundred fifty dollars ($350.) for any subsequent offense; perform community service for a period not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days; at the discretion of the court, have a New Jersey driving privilege suspended or postponed for up to six (6) months; and, if considered necessary by the court, be referred to an alcohol treatment program at the defendant's expense

(Town of Secaucus Municipal Code Chapter 47-30)