Underage Drinking Could Cost You
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - You thought college was a big drunk fest. Well, drunk. Fest, not so much.
According to a prosecutor in Butler County, Florida - home of Miami University - "it is Sodom and Gomorrah every Friday and Saturday night". He is talking about the amount of underage drinking, and the punishments for the crime are slightly less than biblical in proportion, but still harsh: they, the county, now gives an overnight jail stay - and send a letter to your mom.
In every state it's illegal to drink alcohol if you are under 21. But here's what you need to know: unlike drunk driving, in which you are considered impaired if your blood alcohol level is .08, to prove underage drinking, your blood alcohol level only has to be .02, approximately one drink.
And, police can round you up - and sort you out later - if your in attendance at a party where minors are served.
Penalties for a first offense of underage drinking are generally around a $500 fine (not including the thousand bucks or so the lawyer will cost you) plus hours of community service plus loss of license for between 90 and 180 days.
And remember, that's just for drinking, not drinking and driving with much more severe penalties. Not to mention how grounded you'll be when your mom finds out.
