Underage Drinking and the Law

With summer in full swing and the School year just around the corner here are a few things about underage alcohol use. The legal age for consuming and purchasing alcohol in connecticut is 21 years old.  People under 21 who drink are breaking the law.  Parents or other adults who allow them to drink or who purchase alcohol for underage youths are also breaking the law.

Every parent and adult should know that they can face civil and criminal action if a young person were injured as a result of drinking alcohol that they supplied. It is illegal to make alcohol available to children other than your own. It is illegal to host or allow teen drinking parties in your home.

Alcohol is associated with the three leading causes of death among young people - # 1 car crashes, # 2 suicide, # 3 homicide.  It is illegal, unhealthy and unacceptable for anyone underage to drink.  It is also unsafe and illegal for underage people to drink and drive.

Parents should understand that youths grossly over estimate the use of alcohol by others their age. They are influenced by their peers and tend to drink or think they must drink in order to fit in.  Parents play a vital role in providing accurate information on alcohol and being a good role model.  Children who consistently get no-use messages from their parents are 3 to 4 times less likely to abuse substances.  

Underage people should know that trying to use any type of altered document to buy alcohol is illegal.  So is driving a car with alcohol in it.  These offenses can result in arrest and suspended driving privileges.  The Simsbury Police Department along with other Farmington Valley departments is currently involved in programs to combat underage drinking through education and enforcement.

For more information on these programs, please contact the Simsbury Police Department Community Services Division at 658-3131.