APP.com - Underage drinking: Towns take a stand
8/23/2011
More Bay Head police were frustrated. They would break up underage drinking parties and charge the youths with unlawful conduct, only to see the charges dismissed in municipal court. “It’s a historic tradition ... it’s kids drinking. And apparently you can have a house full of 13-year-olds drinking (alcoholic beverages) and none of them would be subjected to a fine if they are caught,” said Borough Councilman John M. Berko. That’s what troubled the town fathers in that 2-square-mile, upscale Ocean County community, as it has elsewhere in New Jersey. It was not only the inability to effectively police underage drinking, but also the age of the drinkers. “What concerns me the most is that it seems the drinkers are younger now,” said Bay Head Mayor William W. Curtis, who has lived in the borough all of his 68 years. “We used to get high school-age kids having the parties, but now we’ve had kids as young as 13 having drinking parties.” So, Bay Head did what an increasing number of municipalities in New Jersey have done, or are being urged to do: It took advantage of a state law specifically allowing it to prohibit underage drinking on private property, through a local ordinance. Acting Police Chief Robert F. Hoffman Jr. said his request for the ordinance was prompted by a few underage drinking parties involving young teenagers in the past two years, and the dismissal of unlawful conduct charges in municipal court because the drinking had occurred on private property. Now, under the ordinance adopted Monday, those convicted of underage drinking in Bay Head face a fine — $250 for a first offense and $350 for subsequent offenses. Bay Head isn’t alone in taking action. The Beach Haven Borough Council will hold a public hearing on a similar ordinance on Sept. 12. Somerset County has initiated an effort to get all of its 21 municipalities to adopt the ordinance (to date, nine have done so). Middlesex Borough in Middlesex County, despite criticism, has adopted the ordinance, making it the 17th out of 25 municipalities there to do so. And in Morris County, 21 out of 39 municipalities have enacted measures prohibiting those under 21 from consuming alcohol on private property. Bonnie Delaney: 732-557-5738; bdelaney@ njpressmedia.comAlcohol consumption among youth remains at an alarming level.