Cincinnati Enquirer, December 15, 2008

Many well-meaning parents think that it is enough to take away car keys at their teen's parties so the teens can't drink and drive or, in some cases, they offer to host the party themselves and provide the alcohol with the thought that they'll be better able to "keep an eye" on things. But here are the facts:

Parents who give alcohol to their teen's friends under any circumstances, even in their own homes, are breaking the law.

Parents who knowingly allow a person under 21 to remain in their home or on their property while consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages can be prosecuted and everything associated with such a violation can be confiscated, including personal property.

Parents can be sued if they give alcohol to anyone under 21 and they in turn hurt someone, hurt themselves or damage property.

The legal drinking age in the United States is 21. Underage drinking is illegal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, hosting a party where alcohol is available to underage youth is illegal and poses serious health risks as well as legal consequences, criminal and civil, for everyone involved.

We should, as a community, encourage and support the enforcement of a law that protects the health, well-being, and potential of our kids. We should , also be supporting parents and schools who are striving to protect our kids as well.

If we all work in concert to create clear expectations and consequences for kids and alcohol use, including the enforcement of current public policy, we can create a healthy environment for kids to grow up in; we will have the chance to watch them become successful adults.

Holly J. Molony is executive director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati, founded in 1996 as an effort to mobilize multiple sectors of the community to address adolescent substance abuse (www.drugfreecincinnati.org).