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2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21, <br />22 <br />23 <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />4-1 <br />42 <br />43 <br />44 <br />45 <br />46 <br />47 <br />48 <br />49 <br />Request for Council Action <br />Date�,: January 14, 21008 <br />ftemNumber,w- 9.a <br />Department Approval Manager Approval Agenda Section <br />Alcohol is the drug of choice for teens and young adults, an alcohol-related inci dent sare the <br />leading cause of death for this age group. Alcohol use and abuse often leads to traffic accidents <br />and fatalities, property damage, assaults, accidental overdose and even suicide. Research shows <br />people who begin drinking alcohol as adolescents are miore likely to become chemically <br />dependent. The Minnesota Student Survey, excerpts of which will be highlighted at the Council <br />presentation, indicates that consumption of drinking by teens is a signifileant issue in Roseville, <br />as it is in most corm-nunities throughout the state and the nation, and that, youth olften obtain <br />alcohol at house parties. <br />Current Law: It is a criminal offense for an adult to furnish alcohol to a minor, and an individual <br />under age 21 can be charged with possession or consumption off` alclohol., If a person s injured <br />by an underage 'Intoxicated person, the injured person can sue to recover damages for the Bari. <br />suffered. <br />The Problem: It is not currently illegal (a criminal offense) for an adult to allow teens, and young <br />adults (under age 21) to consume alcohol in their homes — it is only illegal for the adult to furnish <br />the alcohol. Often, law enforcement is called to the site of a loud party and finds adults in the <br />home while a teenlyoung adult party involving alcohol is in progress. Ifevierylone present denies <br />that the adults furnished the alcohol, the adults carrot be arrested. <br />The Solution: A Social Host Ordinance e r r ow law enforcement to charge the individual <br />who hosts the underage drinking party. Imposing criminal respionsibility on hoists will have a <br />deterrent effect and reduce the number of underage drinking partles and, hopefully, reduce the <br />numbers of teens and young adults who choose to use alcohol. <br />Polic : <br />The proposed Social Host Ordinajice would make it a, misdemeanor offense for an adult to host <br />or allow an event at their home or other property if (1) thiey know that an underage person is <br />drinking -or in possession of alcohol and-i (2) the adult fails to take reasonablie steps to prevent <br />Possession or consumption. The adult would not have to be present at the party, event or <br />gathering to be criminally responsible. <br />