the proBlem of unDerage Drinking in eurekaOur teen drinking rates are higher than the average in California. And many Eureka youth who drink alcohol report they do so with the intent of becoming very intoxicated. (25% of Eureka 11th graders who use alcohol say that when they drink, they prefer to drink “enough to feel it a lot.” 15% say they prefer to drink “until really drunk.”) Local data 1-2 shows alarming rates of underage drinking along with related risk behaviors and consequences:

• Alcohol is the leading drug used by teens on a regular basis in Humboldt County.

• Nearly one third of Eureka 11th graders have driven a car after drinking or been driven by a friend who had been drinking.

• On average, 12 youths per month are treated at local emergency rooms for alcohol-related health incidents, including acute alcohol poisoning, etc. 2

According to the California Healthy Kids Survey, most high school-aged youth in Eureka are drinking at parties and in homes with or without their parents’ knowledge. Our youth tell us that much of the heaviest and highest risk drinking is happening at home parties. The negative consequences of underage drinking at home parties in Eureka include car crashes, property damage, community disturbances, violence and sexual assault.

In 2013, Eureka Police Department reported 1,199 alcohol-related

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“ We can no longer ignore what alcohol is doing to our children. Underage drinking is everybody’s problem and its solution is everyone’s responsibility.

Kenneth MoritsuguSurgeon General (retired)

“ The consequences of underage drinking should not be underestimated. Adults need to understand the serious impacts of teen alcohol use and become part of the prevention effort.

Ruby Bayan, MDChild, Adolescent and Addiction Psychiatrist

Eureka

Alcohol is relatively harmless and teen drinking is a rite of passage.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, youth who use alcohol are:

• Risking impaired brain development

• Up to five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence

• More likely to engage in risky sexual behavior

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humBolDt allies for suBstanCe aBuse prevention

the eureka soCial host orDinanCeA Tool for Reducing Underage Drinking at Home Parties

Summer 2014

eureka teens Binge Drinkingin the last 30 Days 1

(Binge drinking = 5 or more drinks in a row)

“ As a police agency we frequently respond to house parties where underage drinking and binge drinking are the norm. Not only do these calls require multiple officers to resolve but they often result in violence, injuries, arrests, medical aid calls and, all too frequently, sexual assaults.

CHIEF ANDREW MILLS, EUREKA POLICE DEPARTMENT

“ I have responded to numerous ‘house party’ calls for service while serving as a police officer in Eureka. I would estimate that over half of these calls involve subjects under the age of 21 drinking or in possession of alcohol.

OFFICER CORRIE WATSON, EUREKA POLICE DEPARTMENT

“ I fear parents are introducing their kids to all kinds of future problem behaviors, including the possibility of addiction, by allowing them to drink at home. Parents may think ‘as long as they drink at home it’s safe’ but the reality is that teen drinking leads to accidents, injuries, poisonings and assaults.

CHRIS EVANS, EUREKA PARENT

Adults may believe it’s safer to let youth drink at home.

Underage drinking at home parties is unhealthy and unsafe. Underage drinking parties often contribute to serious consequences including sexual assault, violence, impaired driving, acute alcohol poisoning, injury and liability, property damage, the presence of unwanted guests, and municipal expenses related to law enforcement and other service calls.

Usually I go to parties where I know there’s gonna be a lot of alcohol because I know there will be girls who drink too much and it’s easier to hook up with them.

I worry about friends drinking at parties because there’s lots of aggressive behavior. Emotions are higher. Fights happen.

House parties are the bomb because I don’t have to watch how much I drink.

what eureka Youth are saying about home parties 4

nearly half of eureka teens report that most Drinking happens at home parties 5

eureka teens reporting peer alcohol use at parties

eureka teens reporting getting alcohol “from adults at friends’ homes”

home parties in eureka

So many posts by my Facebook friends are about how drunk people got at parties

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what’s a soCial host orDinanCe?A social host ordinance is a local law that makes it illegal to host gatherings on private property where alcoholic beverages are served to or consumed by underage persons. It is an infraction of such a law to conduct, aid, allow, permit or condone an underage or unruly gathering at a residence or other private property.

whY Does eureka neeD this law?

Existing law is limited because it provides for criminal action or lawsuit only in the event of injury, loss or death resulting from underage drinking parties. A locally crafted civil social host ordinance in Eureka allows police officers to fine party hosts for underage drinking that is happening on property they control. This would provide a strong deterrent to underage drinking parties.

• In 2013, more than half of police service calls for underage drinking parties in Eureka required three or more officers to respond and kept officers on the scene for up to two hours. 7

• When officers locate minors at parties, they must take custody of the juvenile until a parent or guardian is located. If the parent or guardian is not located and the juvenile is intoxicated, the youth must be transported to the emergency room to be medically cleared prior to booking at Juvenile Hall.

Benefits of a soCial host orDinanCe inCluDe:

• Decreases youth access to alcohol and dangerous impacts such as sexual assault, injuries and reckless behavior.

• Deters underage drinking parties by holding adults accountable, sending a message that providing alcohol to youth is unacceptable and against the law.

• Reduces noise nuisance, neighborhood vandalism and property damage that occur as a result of unruly gatherings.

• Empowers parents to set very clear limits with their kids and with other parents around drinking in home settings.

• Empowers neighbors and concerned citizens to seek help from law enforcement when underage drinking is suspected or loud parties are occurring.

• Provides law enforcement with a formal and simple course of action to get to the root of a major source of underage drinking in Eureka.

“ A social host ordinance will allow the police to deal directly with those responsible for hosting the parties. While the hosts could be held financially liable for their reckless and irresponsible behavior, it is our hope the ordinance will deter future parties and underage drinking. We, as a community, must take a stand to prevent the victimization of minors who attend underage parties, which will in turn create a safer community for all.

CHIEF ANDREW MILLS EUREKA POLICE DEPARTMENT

of 17-18 year olds in Eureka reported having attended a party where alcohol was served during the last 30 days. 6

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unDerage Drinking parties are expensive:

key points of eureka’s ordinance:

• Penalties involve fines, not criminal charges.

• Hosts are prohibited from providing a location for underage drinking events.

• Violators are issued citations; penalties include fines and civil cost recovery (civil cost recovery fees include the costs of providing public safety services such as law enforcement, fire, and other emergency services.)

• The host is defined as the person in control of the premises where the gathering occurs or the person who organizes, supervises or conducts the event.

• Fines increase with each subsequent violation.

• Civil cost recovery penalties help recoup some of the municipal expense of providing police and/or other public services in response to underage drinking gatherings.

HELPNOW

Do these laws work?A social host ordinance is considered a “promising practice” for reducing underage drinking in communities. According to small scale studies, local social host ordinances often result in fewer calls for service to disturbances created by underage drinking parties:

• Petaluma, CA had 9.3% fewer calls for service related to disturbance – including underage parties – from the year prior to passage (2006) to the second year after passage (2009). 8

• San Diego County, CA had 8% fewer disturbance calls from the year preceding passage (2002) to the year following passage (2004) of its social host ordinance. 9

what Can You Do to help?As a resident or community organization, you can take action:

Be safe Be responsible

• Do not provide alcohol to anyone under 21 years of age.

• Secure your liquor cabinet.

• Report unruly parties and underage drinking by calling: Eureka Police Dept. 707-441-4060

or

Humboldt County Sheriff 707-445-7251

NOTES

1 California Healthy Kids Survey, Eureka City Schools 2012

2 California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, Emergency Department Data, 2012

3 Eureka Police Department, 2013

4 Humboldt ASAP Youth Key Informant Interviews, Eureka, CA, 2013

5 California Healthy Kids Survey, Eureka City Schools 2012

6 Wake Forest School of Medicine Millennial Youth and Young Adult Survey, Eureka 2013

7 Eureka Police Department, 2013

8 Petaluma unpublished data, 2009

9 Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center, 2003

707-445-6023

bwells@co.humboldt.ca.us

Enactment of a social host ordinance for the City of Eureka is supported by the Eureka Police Officers Association.

Humboldt ASAP is a partnership of local organizations and individuals dedicated to reducing and preventing substance use among youth in Humboldt County. Since 2002, the coalition has worked to build a safe and healthy community, free of alcohol, tobacco and other drug related harm. To learn more, call 707-445-6023.

humBolDt allies for suBstanCe aBuse preventionwww.humboldtasap.wordpress.com

• Share this brochure with people you know.

• Contact us to get more involved:

• Write a letter and/or contact your City Council member to express support for a Social Host Ordinance for the City of Eureka. (Sample letter here: www.humboldtasap.wordpress.org.)

• Talk it up! Spread the word about the value of adopting a social host ordinance to Eureka friends, family, neighbors and colleagues.

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Creating public policy that supports a healthy behavioral environment for community members – especially youth – is a powerful approach because it has the potential to shape healthy community norms and protect youth.

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