What is social host liability?Social Host refers to adults who knowingly or unknowingly host underage drinking parties on property that they own, lease or otherwise control. Through social host liability laws, adults can be held responsible for these parties, regardless of who furnishes the alcohol.
How are social host laws different than other laws targeting the role adults play in underage drinking?
While it is illegal for adults to furnish alcohol to individuals under the age of 21, enforcing the law can be difficult. When law enforcement officials arrive on the scene of an underage drinking party, it is often hard to determine who furnished the alcohol.
Social host laws allow law enforcement to cite the individual who hosted the underage drinking party on property they own, lease or otherwise control. The law’s focus is on the setting in which underage drinking takes place, rather than on the furnishing of the alcohol.
What are the benefits of educating a community about social host laws?
- Deterring adults and youth under age 21 from hosting parties where underage drinking is occurring
- Increasing the awareness of underage drinking parties and providing an incentive for hosts to be vigilant for underage consumption of alcohol
- Encouraging parents to take steps to prevent teenage drinking parties while they are away
- Holding underage youth partially accountable for underage drinking parties planned without the knowledge of their parents
- Recovering the law enforcement costs of repeatedly responding to the same party site
- Officially establishing a community’s “zero-tolerance” policy for underage drinking
What types of punishment can an adult receive for hosting an underage drinking party?
Depending on the type of liability, punishment can include monetary fines, reimbursement for police, fire or other emergency response services and/or jail time.
Why does MADD support social host education?
Mothers Against Drunk Driving believes that underage drinking is not just a youth problem. It is also very much an adult problem. With adults who purchase alcohol for those under age 21; look the other way when teens talk about their drinking exploits; and host teenage drinking parties in their homes, many communities struggle to prevent underage drinking.
Does my community have an existing social host ordinance?
What would a sample social host ordinance look like?
View this sample ordinance, which community leaders can use as a guide.