Issue Date: 3/1/10
'Social host' law holds parents accountable for poor judgement
By Teresa Probart
After allowing a teenage party to get out of hand, Fallbrook mother Deborah Gibney pleaded guilty to violating San Diego County's social host ordinance on Feb. 9.
The violation, which occurred last summer, has brought much debate over the law that holds adult hosts responsible for monitoring underage attendees and making sure there is no alcohol at events they host.
I support this ordinance and the needed enforcement that it brings to parents, who in our society seem to forget their responsibilities. Teenagers don't need parents to be their best friend; they need parents to be the cornerstone that sets a standard of security, even when it may not be the "popular" thing to do.
During the course of Gibney's trial, she told authorities that she never provided alcohol, but that teenagers brought their own booze and were drinking along her driveway and outside the property.
Though she faced a maximum of one year in jail and fines up to $1,000, Gibney was placed on three years probation, is required to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving Impact Panel, ordered to attend parenting classes and has been fined $300.
Gibney insisted that she did everything she could to control the situation and that the ordinance places too much responsibility on a host. In the end, she said she felt she did the right thing.
Hopefully her punishment will get her to rethink that stance. As for the charge that too much culpability is put on the host of a party, understand that adults are liable for the activities taking place on their property and should act like responsible individuals and keep a handle on their guests or inform the authorities when things get out of hand.
Parents and adults need to make it a priority to stand up to the mixed messages teens take in everyday and be the safeguard for preventing bad choices when it comes to underage drinking. Every year it is estimated that 25 percent of fatal teen car accidents are caused by drunk driving.
The violation, which occurred last summer, has brought much debate over the law that holds adult hosts responsible for monitoring underage attendees and making sure there is no alcohol at events they host.
I support this ordinance and the needed enforcement that it brings to parents, who in our society seem to forget their responsibilities. Teenagers don't need parents to be their best friend; they need parents to be the cornerstone that sets a standard of security, even when it may not be the "popular" thing to do.
During the course of Gibney's trial, she told authorities that she never provided alcohol, but that teenagers brought their own booze and were drinking along her driveway and outside the property.
Though she faced a maximum of one year in jail and fines up to $1,000, Gibney was placed on three years probation, is required to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving Impact Panel, ordered to attend parenting classes and has been fined $300.
Gibney insisted that she did everything she could to control the situation and that the ordinance places too much responsibility on a host. In the end, she said she felt she did the right thing.
Hopefully her punishment will get her to rethink that stance. As for the charge that too much culpability is put on the host of a party, understand that adults are liable for the activities taking place on their property and should act like responsible individuals and keep a handle on their guests or inform the authorities when things get out of hand.
Parents and adults need to make it a priority to stand up to the mixed messages teens take in everyday and be the safeguard for preventing bad choices when it comes to underage drinking. Every year it is estimated that 25 percent of fatal teen car accidents are caused by drunk driving.
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