Underage kids caught drinking alcohol won’t rack up a permanent charge on their record under a bill that passed the legislature last week.
Imagine a high school party. All the kids are underage — some are drinking. When police bust the party, they issue citations- even to kids who haven’t had a drop of alcohol.
In Alaska, seventy-five percent of alcohol related charges are for minors consuming alcohol. That makes it the number one alcohol charge statewide — affecting about 3000 young people each year.
Soldotna Republican Senator Peter Micciche sponsored senate bill 165. He says the punishment can stay with kids forever.
“What we were doing before is a misdemeanor criminal offense that went on court view and compromised not only their success throughout the rest of high school, but when it became time for scholarships or applying for a job even after coming back from the university. They essentially had a life-long record.”
According to The Justice Center — at the University of Alaska Anchorage — the majority of those charged are convicted.
Under the new bill, instead of a misdemeanor charge, those under the age of 21 caught drinking will face a 500-dollar fine that could be reduced if they complete an alcohol safety action course.
Zara Smelcer runs the Anchorage Juvenile Alcohol Safety Program and works closely with kids charged with MCA’s.
She thinks the change is important, but wishes the legislation had gone a step further
“I feel like the educational component being mandatory is actually more important than any fine being paid directly to the court. Because they’re getting the education and treatment to help them make the decision not to do it again until they’re of legal age.”
Before this bill can become law, it must be signed by Governor Bill Walker
Zoe Sobel is a reporter with Alaska's Energy Desk based in Unalaska. As a high schooler in Portland, Maine, Zoë Sobel got her first taste of public radio at NPR’s easternmost station. From there, she moved to Boston where she studied at Wellesley College and worked at WBUR, covering sports for Only A Game and the trial of convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
