Summer Safety with your teen
Dear Community Members,
School is out for the summer, which means kids are having fun being outdoors, hanging out with their friends, and enjoying their summer vacations. Summer is great for making memories. Unfortunately, all too often, those memories can be clouded with substance use. Here is a disturbing fact to consider from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health report (July 2, 2012), "First-time use of many substances (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana) peaked during the months of June and July." Knowing this is a risky time for our kids, it's important for parents to keep an extra watchful eye on any suspicious or unusual behaviors. Parents know their children best, and if something does not make sense or seem quite right, ask questions and follow-up on your instincts. Keep an open dialogue with your children, and give them an opportunity to talk about what is going on in their lives.
June and July are also popular times for hosting and attending high school graduation parties. Graduation parties and alcohol are not synonymous, and parents should not feel pressured into hosting a party with alcohol provided to underage party-goers. Some parents may believe allowing kids to drink alcohol in their home is the safer choice since "they are going to do it anyway." But this is a flawed logic and only condones poor choices and illegal behaviors. As adults, it is our obligation to ensure the safety of our children, and to remember social hosting is not only dangerous but is also against the law. Social hosting consists of holding, facilitating or allowing a party in your home, and allowing minors to possess or consume alcohol. Adults can be held both criminally and civilly liable for the offense, as well as can be held responsible even if the adult did not supply alcohol to the minors. In Lincolnshire, a local ordinance citation for this offense carries a minimum $1,000 fine for the first offense. In civil court, damages as a result of injuries suffered due to social hosting have resulted in hefty civil judgments.
Members of the Lincolnshire Police Department are always happy to help answer any questions or concerns. Please feel free to contact us on our non-emergency line at (847) 883-9900 or stop by stop by the Lincolnshire Police Station. Enjoy the summer now, because winter is only six months away!