Supervised Underage Drinking

If you’re celebrating the end of the year or graduation with your teen, it might be tempting to allow them to toast the occasion with you. However, even supervised underage drinking is illegal and dangerous.

Alex and Calvin’s Law was named after Alexander Murk and Calvin Li, who lost their lives in a car accident after a party where alcohol was served by an adult. Now, an adult who provides alcohol to a minor (regardless of relationship) and who allows that minor to operate a vehicle, faces up to 1 year in prison and up to $5,000 in fines for each offense if that minor causes serious physical injury or death to his/her self or another.

Additionally, two Maryland appeals court decisions made it clear that providing alcohol to minors creates civil liability for the adult if the minor is harmed or harms a third party. So, if parents serve alcohol to minors at a house party or turn a blind eye to obvious alcohol consumption, they risk financial responsibility for any harm caused to the children or that the children cause to a third party.

Even if the teens aren’t driving, alcohol damages teens still-developing brains.