Halloween is a fun holiday to dress up and collect candy, but it’s also a time when minors get their hands on alcohol.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 7.4 million young adults from the ages of 12 to 20 reported alcohol use in 2017.
Oklahoma has a huge problem with social hosting.
A social host is anyone who provides the location for people under 21 to drink alcohol.
In Oklahoma, of those who drank alcohol in the last year 31% of kids said they got alcohol from home with their parent’s permission.
According to Oklahoma’s Social Host Law:
•Property owners are accountable
•If people under 21 are gathered and drinking on private property, the person who provides the location is considered the Social Host, and will be held accountable.
•Fines are immediate
•There’s a $500 fine for a first time violation
•Adults and minors are held accountable
•A “Social Host” can be a minor or adult and does not have to be physically present or the actual property owner.
•Repeat offenders can face prison time
•Fines increase with additional violations — three strikes gets you a felony conviction with up to 5 years in prison and a fine up to $2,500.
Parents don’t allow underage drinking to happen in your homes, make sure you talk to your children who might be attending Halloween parties this year about alcohol use and how to say no if they’re offered a drink.
For more information, you contact Wichita Mountains Prevention Network at 580-355-5246. Wichita Mountains Prevention Network is funded through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)