Assembly OKs bills targeting underage drinking
By Shadae Lee
RICHMOND – The General Assembly has approved several bills targeting underage drinking and has sent them to Gov. Bob McDonnell to be signed into law.
The bills would increase the penalties for teenagers who drink and drive and would restrict instances in which a parent can provide alcohol to a child under 21.
Approval of such legislation comes as recent U.S. data showed underage drinking on the rise and more Virginia teens consuming alcohol.
Last week, the U.S. Partnership for a Drug-Free America released a study showing that alcohol consumption among American high school students increased 11 percent from 2008 to 2009.
“This year’s advancing underage drinking legislation in Richmond is an apt response that alcohol continues to be the most commonly used substance by Virginia teens and that nearly 11 percent of those killed in the commonwealth’s drunk driving crashes are 15-19 years old,” said Kurt Gregory Erickson, president of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program.
WRAP is a nonprofit public-private partnership based in McLean that works to prevent drunken driving and underage drinking.
During this year’s legislative session, the House and Senate passed several measures to crack down on underage drinking. Erickson said the bills included:
House Bill 862, sponsored by Delegate Benjamin Cline, R-Amherst. Under current law, when a juvenile is convicted of an alcohol-related offense, the case is automatically dismissed once he completes his probation. Under HB 862, the dismissal would not be automatic.
HB 863, also sponsored by Cline. It would prohibit courts from issuing restricted driver’s licenses, for traveling to and from school, for people under 18 who have been convicted of driving under the influence or of refusing to take a blood alcohol content test.
HB 908, sponsored by Delegate Robert Bell, R-Charlottesville. This bill allows courts to suspend both the motor vehicle and driver’s license, or impose a driving curfew, for people under 18 who have been convicted twice of underage drinking.
HB 1293, sponsored by Delegate William Cleaveland, R-Roanoke. This bill clarifies current law that allows parents to let their children drink alcohol. HB 1293 makes it clear that the drinking is permitted only in the family’s own home.
Melanie Stokes, media specialist for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, said her agency has numerous programs to raise awareness among teenagers about the hazards of underage drinking.
One program is called Youth of Virginia Speak Out. It was started in 2001 after the number of Virginia teens killed in motor vehicle crashes jumped from 139 in 1999 to 157 in 2000.
YOVASO uses school-based safety campaigns to spread the word among students.
“The ‘Buckle Up, Drive Sober’ campaign is sponsored annually in February, with schools developing creative ideas, projects and messages to increase awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving,” said Mary King, program administrator for YOVASO.
The teens involved in the program use a variety of interactive activities, like mock car crashes, to increase awareness about drinking and driving, King said.
Besides legislation targeting underage drinking, the General Assembly has passed other bills that WRAP has pushed for.
For example, HB 1353, sponsored by Cline, provides that any school bus driver who possesses or consumes alcohol while transporting children is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
And Senate Bill 219, sponsored by Sen. Janet Howell, D-Reston, requires people who are under 18 and riding in a vehicle’s rear seat to wear a seat belt. (Current law applies only to passengers under 16.)
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On the Web
For more information, visit the Web sites of:
Washington Regional Alcohol Program: www.wrap.org
Youth of Virginia Speak Out: www.yovaso.net