Teen Drinking Problems Illicit New Laws in Orange County

Today in the Orange County Register a new law is under consideration to discourage the rampant teen drinking problem. If Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills adopt this ordinance they will be the first cities in Orange County to implement this new law.

More cities cracking down on parents allowing teen boozing
City councils in Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills might be county's first to impose new law to fight underage drinking.

"With the prom season under way and neighborhoods under siege with drunken teens, public urination and violence, city officials in two South County cities hope a new law could crash these out-of-control parties.

In Mission Viejo, the City Council voted last week to draft a new ordinance and will consider it at Monday night's meeting. Proposed by Mayor Trish Kelley, the social host underage drinking ordinance would hold adults accountable for teen drinking and could result in $1,000 fines. It could also require adults to pay for law enforcement response costs as well as costs associated with repeated calls to the same address."

The "Social Host Ordinance" is aimed at reducing the venues teens have for consuming alcohol by creating steep fees in hope of increasing adult supervision and accountability for teen drinking on personal property.

Local communities have witnessed increase in alcohol related property damage, driving related arrests, injuries and public disturbances.

"Since May 2007, Mission Viejo deputies have responded to reports of 1,325 loud parties. A good percentage of these have involved teens, said sheriff's Lt. Steve Bernardi, chief of police services for the city. In 2007 there were 18 crashes in which underage drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Ten people were injured, and in 11 cases, juveniles told deputies they had been drinking at a party, at a friend's house or at home."

Zippers, New Teen Drink!

Zippers are a new trend in the teen drinking world. They are individual gelatin shots that have the same appearance as the Jell-O snacks that teens often bring to school. Although zippers are 24-proof (12% alcohol by volume) they come in packaging that seems as if it is marketed to teens or younger children. This makes it very easy for teens to sneak zippers into school with them.

Zippers are manufactured by Zippers Co. of the Netherlands. The idea is to capitalize on the homemade Jell-O shots that have become so popular in recent years. Zippers come packaged in the same way as common children’s snacks like Jell-O and pudding. The lid has a warning label that alcohol is in the product, but when the lid is removed it is impossible to tell the difference between Zippers and their non-alcoholic twin Jell-O if you are just looking at them. When the lid is removed the only way to differentiate a Zipper from Jell-O is to eat it.

Many teens today are using these unsuspecting drinks to consume alcohol right under the noses of their parents and teachers. Because teachers can not tell the difference between Zippers and Jell-O, teens are bringing them into school lunchrooms. Parents and schools need to be aware of these new alcoholic beverages because they are easy to miss.

Alcoholic Energy Drinks Target Teens

Alcoholic Energy Drinks
Your average beer contains three to five percent alcohol. Selling alcohol to a teen is illegal. Stores and their clerks are well aware of this. However, the fact that some energy drinks such as Rockstar 21, Tilt, Joose and Liquid Core can contain levels of alcohol is not well-known. Alcoholic energy drinks can contain up to six to seven percent alcohol. Many establishments that carry both alcoholic and non-alcoholic energy drinks are not aware of this. The companies who make alcoholic energy drinks have made the packaging so similar to regular energy drinks that even the person buying them might not even know. Often times these drinks are mistakenly sold to teens. The bright colors on the cans can be appealing to a younger crowd and the manufacturers do that on purpose.
Energy drinks generally contain an amount of caffeine that is equivalent to four cups of coffee. When alcohol is added to the picture, the combination can be lethal. Combining a stimulant and a depressant is not a good idea. It is said that teens like it because the “up” effect of the caffeine counteracts the sluggish effect produced by alcohol. Also, both caffeine and alcohol are diuretics and the mixture of the two together can cause a bad hangover, and in severe cases, deadly dehydration.
If you take a look at the websites for some energy drinks it is very apparent that they are targeting teens and young adults. In fact, even the teenagers who purchase these energy drinks might not know the difference between the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic ones.