D.A. Rice: Allowing Underage Kids to Drink Alcohol This Prom and Graduation Season is a Crime

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice is reminding parents of teenagers that, with prom and graduation season approaching, adults who provide alcohol to underage party guests will face criminal prosecution under the Nassau County Social Host law.

"Don't worry about being the popular parent. Be the responsible one," Rice said. "There is no excuse, no explanation, and no reason to allow underage kids to drink alcohol in your home. Make the correct decision. Remember, parents who host lose the most."

Rice will also appear in a public service announcement, produced by the Manhasset-based Coalition Against Substance Abuse (CASA), encouraging parents to be responsible. The PSAs will be shown at two Clearview movie theaters in Port Washington — Clearview Soundview Cinema and Port Washington Clearview Cinema — and one in Manhasset beginning today, Memorial Day, and will run for 10 weeks.

The Nassau County Social Host Law makes it a crime for a host, age 18 or older, to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. Possible criminal punishments include a fine of $250 for first-time offenders to fines of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail for repeat offenders.

According to statistics provided by CASA, underage kids who drink are more susceptible to a litany of health problems, including interrupted brain development, increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy, and there is a 40 percent greater risk of alcoholism in kids who start drinking before the age of 15.