The BEACON Coalition is our community initiative bringing together law enforcement, business, schools, parents, youth and other sectors of our community to work to protect our young people. One the organization’s goals, is to implement “environmental changes” that affect the whole community instead of efforts directed at specific groups. Building awareness around state and local laws and consequences is one of these strategies.
Between the holidays of Thanksgiving and New Year’s we focusing our efforts on decreasing accessibility of alcohol by minors, in part because of the number of college students home at that time. Our community assessments have shown that 62.3% of NHS juniors and seniors report getting alcohol through friends, and 27.1% of NHS juniors and seniors report they usually get alcohol by having someone buy it for them.
Please take a look at the resources below for more information about underage drinking.
Links to SAHMSA Website
The District Attorney’s Youthful Diversion Program offers certain first-time offenders between the ages of 18 and 21, an alternative to the court system. The program is based on the widely accepted belief that not all cases are best handled through formal criminal complaints and court hearings. The program provides first-time nonviolent offenders the opportunity to receive services in lieu of being prosecuted through the traditional court process.
When it comes to underage drinking, the law is clear. If you are 21 years old, you may consume alcohol. If you are not, you may not. If you have a party, you may not provide, give or allow any of your guests who are under 21 to possess alcohol. As a parent you may be tempted to allow your son or daughter to have some friends over to drink especially during prom and graduation season. You may think that by collecting the car keys, you can control it and that they will be safe. Not only is that against the law, it is not safe.
Join the BEACON Coalition mailing list by emailing beacon@cityofnewburyport.com.