Underage
Drinking: Success Stories
Hawaii
– August 19, 2003
of Problem
Strategies
More
Stories
|
With support from the OJJDP
Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Initiative, community organizations, enforcement agencies, youth, and other concerned citizens are working collaboratively to
change local ordinances and enforcement practices.
Social Host Law Passed in Hawaii
|
This past spring, Hawaii enacted a social host liability law for
adults providing alcohol to minors under the age of 21, joining 31 other
states that have already adopted similar laws. The new law resulted from
the determined efforts of MADD-Hawaii?s staff, volunteers, and members of
the Hawaii Partnership to Prevent Underage Drinking representing all the
Hawaiian Islands to substantiate the State of Hawaii?s commitment to deter
underage drinking and to assign responsibility to adults who promote this
illegal behavior.
According to Donna Gutierrez, MADD-Hawaii, several legislators were
willing to propose the bill in order to ?send a wake-up call? to parents
and adults who take lightly the dangers and risks teens pose to themselves
and others when they drink, especially when they drink and drive.. Several
recent crashes involving teens who had been drinking at parent-hosted
parties highlighted the need for a law that would hold adults accountable
when they buy or provide alcohol to minors.
Beginning in the fall of 2002, MADD-Hawaii and other organizations began
to work with legislators to write a social host bill and to organize
grassroots support for the law on each of the islands. When the
legislative session began in 2003, MADD-Hawaii and Hawaii Partnership
members hit the ground running. Using data from surveys that showed the
majority of Hawaiian teens obtain their alcohol from adults, MADD-Hawaii?s
Youth in Action team implemented a public information campaign through the
media and testified in committee hearings. During the process, they
gathered support from key legislators, police officers, and county, and
State officials including Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona. Several articles
appeared in Honolulu?s two daily newspapers.
Their efforts paid off; in April, both houses of the State legislature
passed the bill. On May 20, 2003, Governor Linda Lingle signed the bill
into law during a ceremony at a waterfront memorial for victims of
drunk-driving crashes in Honolulu. The social host liability law was
effective immediately.
The social host liability law establishes criminal penalties of up to one
year in jail, fines of up to $1000, or both, for adults who furnish
alcoholic beverages to anyone younger than age 21. The previous law only
prohibited adults from buying alcohol for minors. Under the new law,
adults who ?knowingly? provide liquor to someone younger than age 21 or
have knowledge of underage drinking on their property and could have
prevented it can be held financially responsible for any third party
injury that may ensue from their provision.
After working tirelessly to get the law passed, MADD-Hawaii and the Hawaii
Partnership to Prevent Underage Drinking are embarking on the toughest
part of their effort ? educating the public. The message will be carried
to all the islands through volunteers and the Hawaii Partnership to
Prevent Underage Drinking County Coalitions. , The strategy is to wage a
media campaign through television, radio, and local newspapers. They also
plan to pass out brochures and coordinate discussion sessions in schools.
The resounding message from MADD-Hawaii is, ?Providing alcohol to minors
is a serious ? and even deadly ? practice. Parents and other adults need
to know that now they can be held both criminally and civilly responsible.
It?s the law.?
For more information, contact
Donna Gutierrez MADD-Hawaii 700 Bishop Street
#1111 Honolulu, HI 96813
808.532.6752or Alan Yamamoto Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division(808) 692-7540
|
Training|
Events|
| Publications