On college campuses across the country, students will decide to embibe.
They may try alcohol for the first time, full well knowing that they aren’t age 21.
In a sense, that’s part of the college experience and most of us can say that we’ve probably had a drink before we turned of legal drinking age.
But it’s illegal.
You will suffer the consequences if caught.
And if you get behind the wheel, that’s a totally different story.
As the fall semester begins at colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth, State Police are teaming up with the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monrooe and Wayne counties to crack down on these underage drinkers.
They will target underage drinking in and around college campuses in their jurisdiction.
The penalties are serious.
State laws pertaining to the purchase, possession, consumption and distribution of alcohol will be aggressively enforced.
Any person under age 21 found in possession of, or consuming, alcoholic beverages will be cited under Pennsylvania’s underage drinking law.
That law is a summary offense and carries a potential fine of up to $300 and up to 90 days imprisonment for the first offense.
The fine increases to $500 for subsequent offenses.
Additionally, persons convicted of underage drinking, misrepresentiing their age to buy alcohol or carrying false ID wil have their driving privileges suspended for 90 days for the first offense, one year for the second offense and two years for any third or subsequent offense.
Authorities are going to be enforcing these laws very strongly.
There are no gray areas — and nor should there be any.
Every effort will be made to arrest any person(s) who supply alcoholic beverages to someone under age 21.
Any person, including parents, found supplying alcohol to anyone under age 21 will be charged with furnishing alcohol to minors, a third degree misdeamor under PA Title 18.
The penalty for the first offense is a minimum fine of $1,000 and up to one-year imprisonment.
The fine for a second or subsequent offense is a minimum of $2,500.
Any person charged with this section will be fingerprinted and photographed as part of the arrest process.
The arrest will then be part of a permanent criminal record.
College for students should be a time to learn and grow into young adults.
Underage drinking shouldn’t be a part of this equation.
Get a degree; not a criminal record.
