Alcohol & Drugs: MIP, MIC, Intoxication Contributing to the delinquency of a minor

[ttrigiani]

Wanting to stay out of trouble, for years I have been trying to find an answer to justify my actions.
I was raised in a family that served wine with supper. We NEVER had any issues with intoxication...even after reaching the drinking age, whereas all my friends starting 'binging' once they reached that age (since that is really when they 'started' drinking). Wine was considered healthy and pop (soda) was considered 'very bad'. To this day, I drink wine with supper because I want to - not because I have to; never intoxicated, and I am raising my children as I was raised. They may have a spritzer (<1oz of wine with a glass of ginger-ale), or a 1oz glass of wine with meals. There is no intoxication, and the children have great outlook on life with no problems or issues at school or elsewhere. Immediately after receiving communion, at church, they even have a 'sip' of wine from a gobblet. I discourage drinking 'pop', and, instead, encourage drinking water, some juice, milk, and...yes, a bit of wine with supper. As a parent, I firmly believe in the health benefits of wine, and I also firmly believe that my kids' exposure to it will help them avoid 'binging' in the future. I truly am doing this because I believe it is the right thing to do to 'teach' them the benefits of good moderate consumption, so that they do not have to learn it on their own.
Where do I stand on this issue of 'contributing to the delinquency of a minor?'
Thanks;
Tony

 

[CdwJava]

As far as I know, every state permits a parent to allow their child to consume alcohol with their permission. The laws might not permit a parent to get their child drunk, and if the child comes to any harm as a result of the alcohol consumption, they could be liable, but, in general, this is permitted everywhere I know of.

If you mention your specific state, someone might be able to look up the actual code section in your state to verify this.

- Carl

 

[debt_helper]

:no: You cannot give alcohol to a minor, parent or not! The fact that you are the parent may even add child services needing to be called in to take your children from you. Nowhere in America, short 1 room at the culinary institute in NY, is a minor allowed to consume alcohol. As far as contribution to a minor- you would have to check the exact language of the statute. My guess, if your kids are having a sip with dinner they aren't doing anything to draw attention from police and you are fine. But if they go out after dinner, and get pulled over, and the cops smell alcohol, and bring them home and you say you gave them a drink- you are gonna be in it deep. Bottom line- raise them how you want, but if they have a drink, don't let them out of your sight! (you may also want to make sure they don't tell their friends, who tell their parents, who tell child services, who bust in on you at dinner and see the wine and mess up the rest of your life).

 

[CdwJava]

:no: You cannot give alcohol to a minor, parent or not!

Sorry, but you are incorrect. If you check the statutes of your state, you will find that it is criminal only under certain conditions - these conditions are not generally present when a parent provides alcohol to their own child on their property. There may be SOME state that has an absolute prohibition even on private property, but none that I am aware of.

- Carl

 

[debt_helper]

My bad. I actually did a bit more research on this... I was wrong/right...

The offense of giving, selling, or furnishing intoxicating liquor to a minor might or might not arise where the beverage is supplied by a parent or guardian or at a private home or private event.

Under some statutes, parents and guardians of minors are exempt from statutory prohibition forbidding persons to give or furnish liquor to minors, with the exemption being inapplicable where the defendant is not in such a legal relationship to the minor as to come within its terms. In some cases, the statute does not extend the exemption to any other adult serving alcoholic beverages to minors in the adult's own home or to a parent for the violation of another statute.

Most statutes point to 3 condition of minors drinking- prescribed by a doctor, religious ceremony, and parental supervision (when the amount supplied is not enough to cause death).

However, like I said, if you provide alcohol and you kids leave your supervision, you can be held liable for your kids resultng negligence.

 

[ttrigiani]

Thanks Carl and Debt Helper....

It has been a nagging issue for years. For some reason, my attempts at trying to find previous related cases have been unfruitful. I just don't understand why transcripts of court cases are not made more readily available. In the electronics industry, I have only to type in a part number or description and a wealth of information is readily available....then I can work with it...but not with matters relating to general inquiry about law; unless it is something monumentous such as winning a tax case against the IRS.
Anyway, Debt Helper, your last comment related to my liability of leaving the kids unsupervised; but, it is because children do grow up, and in the course of growing up, they WILL be unsupervised - we cannot always be there; therefore, I am liable if they take on drinking and harm someone else while driving a car, and I am liable even if they were not drinking. Life lessons, that are taught and understood by children, help them to make better decisions, whereas poor decisions are usually made as a result of a lack of previous experience. Such is the case with College Campus Binging.....I will not be there when it is most important. The purpose of introducing alcohol to my children, is stricly for health, as a life lesson on how to view the consumption of alcohol, and to help them make better choices for when I am not around when they are influenced by pier pressure to drink. Unsupervised consumption is not even an issue since, at this stage of their lifes, they are , not given anywhere near enough to even become intoxicated; we are very involved parents and it is not an unsupervised activity. I needed to better understand my position if ever; for example, a teacher overheard my 10yr old son, while conversing with another kid about alcohol, say that he drank wine at supper or sitting at the table cracking nuts and sipping wine (which we do because we actually eat at a real table, and have real conversations - without ever having a TV on).
To all, I thank-you......
Tony