As a parent, you may be worried that your teenager will be arrested for underage drinking. You probably know that it is common, and maybe you even did it yourself when you were younger. You don’t want your child to make a decision that is going to impact the rest of their life.
However, you may also find yourself wondering exactly how your child would get alcohol in the first place. It is illegal to purchase for those under 21, so how is it that this is one of the most common crimes that young people commit?
Alcohol is illegal but very accessible
What you’ll find is that it’s often not that hard for teenagers to find sources to obtain alcohol. One study claimed that 72% of teens who drink could get it without even having to make a purchase. Some of them will steal it from their parents or older siblings, for instance. Others have older friends who will buy it for them, or they may even approach people at a liquor store and ask them to make the purchase. Still, others will get their own fake IDs and make those purchases themselves.
One important thing to remember is that a lot of underage drinking happens at social gatherings and parties with dozens or even hundreds of individuals. This is especially common at college. All that it takes is one person who is able to obtain alcohol for the group, and they could all be in jeopardy of facing these legal charges.
If your teenager has been arrested, then you may want to begin looking into your legal defense options.
