A press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, at 11 a.m. at the Roseville Police Department’s Mark White Room to discuss the launch of a new program in Placer County that increases awareness of underage drinking risks and supports and empowers parents.
‘Parents Who Host Lose The Most’ is a public awareness campaign that provides parents with accurate information about the health and safety risks of underage drinking and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to youth. It highlights that parents who allow underage drinking parties at their home can be prosecuted under the law and face a number of consequences.
Speakers will include a welcome and program overview from Rocklin Police Chief Mark Siemens; Capt. David Harris of the Placer County Sheriff’s Department will address the legal consequences of providing alcohol to minors; Mark Starr, director of Placer County Community Health and Clinics, will discuss the health consequences of underage drinking; and parent Christy Crandell will talk about parents providing alcohol – knowingly or unknowingly – to underage youth.
Another component of the program is the ‘Responsible Host Pledge,’ a parental commitment to not allow underage drug or alcohol use in their home and to actively chaperone youth gatherings at their residences. The pledge is an excellent way for families to discuss underage drinking issues together and together set clear guidelines and expectations. Pledges are turned into School Resource Officers or the local law enforcement agency. Participating homes will have a phone number and address entered into a countywide searchable database. Parents are encouraged to always call the hosting parent(s) to verify the occasion, party location, and the presence of adult supervision.
The Placer Parent Host Program focuses on parents because teenagers often obtain their alcohol from their parents or friends’ parents, often with the knowledge and approval of the adults involved. In fact, parents are the most common source of alcohol for teens ages 13-18. In 25 Placer County focus groups, teens consistently reported that parents, either their own or friend’s, were among the most common ways of accessing alcohol.
