Do you know where your teenager will be this New Year's Eve? Chances are they may very well be at a party. Every year the Carson City Sheriff's Office respond to reports of juveniles drinking at residences. Often these calls come in due to the music playing too loud, vehicles being parked illegally or a disturbance has broken out.
It is not uncommon to discover that the parents are out of town and had no idea that their children decided to invite a “few friends” over to celebrate the New Year. Where do they get the alcohol? Sometimes they take it from their parent’s homes or steal it from a store.
If this is not successful, an adult stranger may purchase it for them or they may already know a place where it can be purchased with little difficulty. It goes without saying that juveniles plus alcohol is a bad combination.
The department of motor vehicle penalty for a driver who is under 21 years of age and is caught driving with 0.02% blood alcohol in their system but less than 0.08% is the loss of their driver’s license for 90 days. Add a crash to this, and the outcome can be devastating.
Talk to your children about your expectations of them during the holiday break. Know where they are, who they will be with and how to get in contact with them. Inform them on the dangers of drinking and driving. Help them to become responsible adults.
— Carson City Sheriff's Office Sgt. Scott McDaniel writes regular public safety columns that appear in Carson Now.