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December 29, 2003
For More Information, Contact:
Daryl Savage at (650) 688-6384
PALO ALTO – As New Year’s Eve approaches, law enforcement has a new tool to combat teenage drinking and driving.
Effective January 1, state law will allow criminal prosecution (misdemeanor) of parents who knowingly allow minors to consume alcohol in their home, when that alcohol consumption results in a car accident.
The new law, AB 1301, which was authored by Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), will help in two important ways. “Hopefully, parents will now think twice before allowing youngsters in their home to drink and drive. And,” said Simitian, “I think the new law should make it easier for parents to say ‘No’ to their teens. The goal, very simply, is to help save young lives.”
The idea for the new law originated from Simitian’s “There Oughta Be a Law” contest. Donna Lera, a San Carlos resident, submitted her proposal for the bill after she saw first-hand how the combination of alcohol and unsupervised kids can cause trouble.
As a substance abuse counselor in local schools, Lera had witnessed the tragic consequences of underage drinking. She has also served on the Palo Alto Community Substance Abuse Council, a group started in October 2002 to address the growing concern about the misuse of alcohol and drugs in the community by supporting students and their parents.