Be Smart This Holiday Season
Serve Under 21 and the Party’s Over!
This holiday season, the Lincoln County Drug Free Coalition launches “BUZZKILL: Serve Under 21 and the Party’s Over;” a campaign focused on educating adults, especially those 21 through 24 years old, about the consequences of serving alcohol to underage individuals.
Under Wisconsin law, anyone 21 or older who allows an underage person to drink or possess alcohol on their property is subject to hefty fines and even jail time. Serving to persons underage also opens the door for potential lawsuits. Plus, all alcohol, money or property associated with the offense can be immediately confiscated.
Social hosting is a first-degree misdemeanor, which can mean loss of scholarships or possible denial of a professional license (especially in the fields of health care, criminal justice and education). And with a permanent record, this “mistake” may continue to reveal itself through background checks conducted by potential employers.
During the holidays, college students and young adults are returning home and going out with friends. It’s important that they step back and remind themselves of the potential consequences that can come from seemingly innocent fun. Adults are encouraged to protect themselves and their peers by refusing to supply alcohol to anyone under 21, making sure alcohol is not in the possession of an underage person while on their property and reporting underage drinking to law enforcement.
Lincoln County Drug-Free Coalition supports the BUZZKILL: Serve Under 21 and the Party’s Over public awareness campaign to inform adults, especially those 21 through 24 year olds about the consequences of serving alcohol to minors. The mission of the Lincoln County Drug Free Coalition is to work with the community to reduce the use/abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among youth and over time among adults.