Monticello, NY – Sullivan County officials are considering adoption of a social host law, which would hold parents and other adults that allow consumption of alcoholic beverages by underage youths in their homes legally liable.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Some counties, like Ulster, already have a similar law in place.
State law prohibits providing alcohol to underage people, but a social host law would make the parents or guardians liable even if they did not provide the alcohol.
The first meeting on the proposed social host law will be held in the county legislature’s committee room at the government center in Monticello on Tuesday, July 10 at 4:30 p.m.
Brilliant! We need laws like this. Growing up in a Lubavitch home alcohol was served to kids as young as11. It is not acceptable to train kids to drink. If parents can’t parent than the law will!
It’s law in Australia and should cut down under-age drinking in shule’s also.
And if an underage drinks at a kidush the gabai should be responsible.
I doubt this will work. How can you hold a parent responsible when a 19 yr old davens in a different shul and joins the kidush? Even in the same shul do you think the parent can tell a 19 year old what to do?
# 1 drinking is unacceptable for children. But lubavitcher chassidim do not train kids to dring at 11 years of age. They do in courage a lecahim at bar mitzvah. Please keep it real.
Don’t get this, I can understand if parents are the “servers” and give alcohol to minors that they should be responsible.
But if the kids are at a friend home, etc… Why should his parents be responsible ?
To #3: Yes, if the 19 yr old is in shul on shabbos and his/her parents are there AND the parents are not watching the kids as to how much he/she is drinking, and the the 19yr old gets in the car an drives, The parents are for sure responsible…they should have not allowed them to drive on shabbos!
why cant 19 year olds drink ?- 18 goes to army, cigarettes, vote but cant have beer!
What about arba koses on Pesach?
I understand the reason for such a law however Teenagers will be Teenagers. Last year Simcha Torah some kids brought alcohol to the dancing and trank the alcohol in the basement of the home without the adults knowing. They made sure no one saw them. It was only discovered after they were cought during the dancing for being drunk. The law will prevent parents or adults from knowingly serving alcohol to minors but not prevent minors from smuggling alcohol to social events.
It’s not realistic. How can we control our married children? Remember the legal drinking age in NY is 21. Even on the younger ones 15-16 year olds. Its not going to work.
to #11 I agree with I see teen age boys drinking in shul shabbas and yom tov. If we try to interfer with them they are so rude, (liquor talking), that it is just not funny. I don’t know who is giving them the whiskey but I would love to break their arms!! Don’t they realize what they are doing?
Social Host laws means that the adults in the house where the drinking is taking place (i.e. parents or guardians) are responsible for any underage drinking. Let’s say Jake Jones is 18 and in the house of Rube Smith also 18. If Jake Jones is served alcohol then Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Rube’s parents) will be responsible, not Jake’s parents even if Mr. or Mrs. Smith did not Rube was serving alcohol.
1. A parent allows his/her under age child(ren), who are already forbidden in civil law to buy or to consume alcohol anyway, to hold a party in the family where booze is served.
2. The said parent is not on hand to supervise events at this event, and things get out of hand.
3. We are *not” talking about ליל הסדר where ארבע כוסות are consumed, and where responsible adults are more likely to be present to ensure sobriety, but rather some sort of social event.
4. No matter what the religious or cultural origins of the unsupervised drinkers may be (i.e. Jewish, goyish or any other -ish) some of the drinkers are very likely to drink more alcohol than their livers and brains can tolerate.
5. Problems of varying descriptions and degrees of severity, including criminal damage and/or crimes against the person, are likely to occur.
Given any or all of the above, it seems perfectly logical to ban the consumption of alcohol by minors to the extent that they get drunk. That’s why bars and taverns have to be licensed.
Private parties can not be licensed in that way, so do not allow under age boozing – anywhere or at any time.
Simples.
My 11 year old son got drunk at a kiddush along with 4 other kinder. I had no idea until the next day. It was an awful scene. Sometimes kids drink and spend the night at their friends’ houses during shabbos. Now I will not allow him to sleep at friends and he must come directly home.
The article is not clear about the parameters of the law. It should be self-understood that those who provide alcohol to minors (with the recognition of the few exceptions) are liable. However, most instances of teen alcohol abuse occur when the child is away from home or not under the control of the parents. There should be a burden of proof that the parents were somehow negligible in order to charge them with crime, or to hold them liable. If not, the responsibility should be placed on the youngster him/herself, though current laws are quite lenient with charging minors for such infractions.
This is a totally rational and much needed law. To many of the commenters asking about kiddush above – this law isn’t saying anything about kiddush. That is covered under existing law. This is saying that if your underage kid gets caught under heavy influence then you have to answer for them. I have seen too many teens ago away for a shabbos with no adult supervision and endanger themselves and others with alcohol abuse.
The current law in NJ as I understand it is, a home owner/bar tender/host can not serve ANY liquor to a minor…PERIOD! They can serve liquor to anyone over 21 but must not allow a person to leave and drive if they are considered under the influence or impaired…(3 drinks).