Information from the County Attorney's Office
By Steven J. Franzen, Campbell County Attorney
With prom season and summer upon us, I thought it may be helpful to write a column to assist all parents of underage children to become aware of the potential problems with minors consuming alcohol.
I am writing to you asking for your help in trying to get a message out to your students and their parents concerning the problem of underage drinking and the responsibility and liability of parents.
About this time of the year a couple of years ago, I received a phone call from a very upset parent whose daughter had gotten drunk at a friend's house. That parent did not want to press any criminal charges but just asked if there was something the County Attorney's Office could do to alert minors, parents and school officials about the alcohol problem.
First of all, it should be pointed out that under Kentucky law, you must be twenty-one (21) years of age in order to purchase or consume alcohol. This office is very much aware of underage individuals drinking alcohol at parties at friends' homes or other locations and the serious problem of parents or other adults having knowledge of and/or facilitating that drinking. This office has already prosecuted and gotten jail time for parents and coaches of sports teams who have thrown parties for kids and allowed the consumption of alcohol at those parties.
Most parents know it is illegal to give alcohol to a minor at a party at their home. Some parents do not realize that under Kentucky law and/or under local ordinances that have been passed in many parts of the county, it is a criminal offense to have any underage drinking occur on their property if the parent knew, or should have known, about the drinking.
An example of the penalties for the above-noted violations includes fines up to $250.00 and jail time up to ninety (90) days for a first offense and fines up to $500.00 and jail time up to one (1) year for any subsequent offense.
In the event of personal injury or property damage occurring from a violation of minors consuming alcohol on their property, parents are subject to severe civil penalties in addition to the criminal sanctions.
I know it's tempting and may be somewhat traditional in some families to throw a party for a child who is a high school senior and allow the consumption of alcohol, but the risk of injury or death to the students or other citizens is not worth it. Also, this office will aggressively prosecute any violations of Kentucky law or local ordinances concerning this problem that are brought to our attention
Hopefully, minors and parents will take this message seriously and some families will be spared the heartbreak of injury or death from an alcohol-related accident and avoid criminal and civil penalties. This office would encourage you to get this message out to your students and their parents by including it in newsletters or other documents or possibly addressing the subject at your various parent group meetings, i.e. Boosters, Mother's Club, PTA, etc. If you think it would be helpful, please feel free to include a copy of this letter with any of your correspondence to students or parents.
Thank you for your time and concern in this matter and if I can be of any assistance in addressing the alcohol problem, please feel free to contact me.”
If you have any topics you would like to have covered in this column, please contact my office by e-mail at campbellcoatty@gmail.com, by phone at 491-7700 or by regular mail addressed to 319 York Street, Newport, Kentucky 41071.