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At last week’s City Council meeting, I had a rude awakening. A whole new area of dangers for my child was opened to me. The City Council passed a “social host” ordinance. This new law fines parents who allow underage drinking by other people’s children in their home or care. The goal of the ordinance is to hold those parents accountable who may be looking the other way when their kids have parties where drinking is occurring.
I was shocked by some of the testimony from citizens on this issue. Let me remind you that I grew up in a very religious household where alcohol was taboo. I never even thought about drinking when I was a kid. I tasted a wine cooler when I was 20 and when I turned 21, I wasn’t focused on being of “legal” drinking age. In my 30s I started drinking wine and now we serve it at home for dinner parties. So forgive my naïveté when I heard stories of parents knowingly providing alcohol or a place for teens to party. And the worst stories we heard at that council meeting were about date rapes that involved drunk teenagers and lives that were ruined in the wake.
Wow! I don’t really have any context on modeling responsible drinking since my parents were teetotalers. Actually my mom and stepdad were teetotalers. My father was a high functioning alcoholic for many years.
I have been cautious about Morgan visiting the homes of friends when I don’t know the parents. It usually does not happen even though she keeps protesting that she knows the child. The discussion at the council meeting helped me to know that my approach so far has been appropriate. But it’s time to have a talk with Morgan about alcohol use. We have talked about other “drugs.” But ignoring that same discussion about the dangers of alcohol would be irresponsible.
I will be talking to Morgan about this issue real soon. And I am glad that our city has passed a law to hold accountable those adults who ignore the dangers of early alcohol use.
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