New Bill will Eliminate "Social Hosting" Loophole, A Step to Deter Adults from Allowing or Hosting Underage Parties

This new bill will strengthen current legislation in Wisconsin by deterring underage drinking and social hosting parties. Winnebago County currently has a social hosting ordinance in place, but with this new bill, a large "social hosting" loophole will be eliminated. As Youth Coordinator for re:TH!NK, an organization that works to improve the health of Winnebago County residents, I believe this bill is good news! Peer pressure and misperceived beliefs that 'Everybody is doing it' continue to be factors that contribute to underage drinking among youth. This bill will be a great step forward for Wisconsin and its efforts to prevent adults from hosting underage drinking parties or allowing underage consumption to happen on their watch.

What the changes mean: The bill will prohibit an adult from knowingly permitting or failing to take action to prevent underage consumption of alcohol on property owned by the adult or in an area under the adult's control. This means that an adult can not knowingly allow alcohol to be consumed in an area under their control, for example, renting a hotel room for an underage birthday party where alcohol will be consumed.

You may have heard of the "Parents Who Host Lose the Most" slogan advertised and promoted throughout the state of Wisconsin. Past research has shown that social host legislation is effective in reducing drinking and driving and heavy drinking. Surveys and research have also shown that youth most commonly obtain alcohol from their home (parent or guardian) or from a friend or acquaintance who is 21 or older.

Thank you to Winnebago County Representatives Dick Spanbauer and Gordon Hintz for co-authoring this legislation!

Relaxing guidelines won't help

The current (2005) Dietary Guidelines explicitly discourage anyone from beginning to drink or drinking more frequently on the basis of health considerations. But the tone of this new report creates an impression that alcohol consumption is a viable therapeutic option to be considered and/or discussed with a physician. Read on to see how the culture is wearing down what responsible drinking actually is.