New Campaign Focuses on Adults Who Buy Alcohol for Minors

Concerned about the prevalence of underage drinking, the Novato Blue Ribbon Coalition is launching a new campaign aimed at educating parents that they can face fines and even jail time if they buy alcohol for their teenagers.

Novato passed an ordinance in 1992 that penalizes adults who provide alcohol to minors with fines of up to $3,000 and potential criminal prosecution. But the law is little known, prompting the new effort.

"Some people think that letting kids drink at the house allows them to keep an eye on them," said Jasmine Freese, project coordinator for the Novato Blue Ribbon Coalition for Youth. "But that's not true. Inexperienced drinkers don't always know their limit and if parents give permission to drink at their own home, teens become more likely to drink in other environments."

The posters will be hung at bus stops and businesses around town starting this month. One version of the poster features Novato Police Department Lt. Jennifer Welch, while another features an angry mother and the words “I didn’t give YOU permission for serve MY kid alcohol.”

The group is launching the campaign in November because alcohol use tends to increase over the holidays for both adults and teens. Novato already has a higher rate of both teen and adult alcohol use than the state average, according to Freese.

“People can make a difference, by being aware and by reporting underage drinking parties,” she said. “This is a big issue for Novato and as a community stand up and do something rather than just waiting for another tragedy.”

In 2005, Novato residents Scott Raymond Van Hootegem, 18, and Alexander Scott Hunt, 19, were killed in a crash after drinking at a birthday party in Ignacio. The host and another adult were found guilty of furnishing alcohol and served two weeks in jail. A third person was sentenced to three months in custody, but was referred to a jail alternative program.