Sam Bell
Staff Writer
In order to reduce the amount of teenage alcohol and drug abuse occurring at parties, the Redondo Beach City Council has proposed an ordinance making it a crime for parents to host parties, which can be punishable by up to six months in jail with a $1,000 fine, and reimbursement of the city’s legal expenses.
Other South Bay cities, such as Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and El Segundo have passed similar social host ordinances, which hold individuals responsible for hosting or knowingly providing a place for underage drinking to occur. A “social host” refers to adults who knowingly allow the possession or consumption of alcohol by underage drinkers on property that they own or otherwise control.
“Underage substance use occurs in homes and it is important for parents and all hosts to observe the laws related to underage substance abuse,” Manhattan Beach School Board Member Ellen Rosenberg said. “The ordinance supports taking responsibility, even if an adult wasn’t present or aware of underage substance use.”
The ordinance raises concern amongst parents in the area as well. Although the social host ordinance was recently vetoed, the city could benefit from enforcing more DUI checkpoints, Redondo Beach parent Nikki Murray said.
“The ordinance is rooted in the desire to reduce underage drinking,” Murray, said. “It might make parents think twice before they allow it in their homes, and that alone may discourage them.”
Although the situations are complex and problematic, law enforcement currently has the ability to prosecute any adult who consensually permits minors to consume alcohol on their property. The main purpose of these laws is to dissuade parents from permitting underage drinking under their supervision and to keep the city safer as a whole.
“Until you’re over 25, your brain isn’t totally mature, so kids have a lack of impulse control, which gets worse with alcohol and drugs,” Manhattan Beach City Prosecutor Joan Jenkins said. “Kids get hurt, they do things that they regret, and it almost always includes drinking and drugs.”
Currently, the council has unanimously vetoed the ordinance in Redondo Beach. Although there were many details to consider, the ruling required one more hearing before being passed as city law. The Redondo Beach Mayor deemed it unnecessary to go a step beyond the surrounding beach cities.
“Despite the group mentality teenagers tend to have, drinking is not the way to have fun,” Jenkins said. “Several cases have come to me involving loud gatherings and drinking, and very often, the minor who wanted to have the party didn’t fully comprehend the impact it would eventually have on their surrounding neighbors, as well as friends involved.”
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