Don’t mix yourself with alcohol illegally

In a study done by Monitoring the Future in 2011, over 70 percent of 18 years olds had tried alcohol at least once. From the ages of 18-20 years old, nearly 50 percent admitted to consuming alcohol in the last thirty days.

These numbers may seem familiar to the average student at Chadron State College, but Nebraska is clear about the repercussions of breaking the law. In Nebraska, the legal age to consume alcohol or have in one’s “…possession or physical control…” is 21.

Nebraska does carve out some exceptions to the minimum drinking age in Neb. Rev. Stat.  53-180.02. Here, when the underage drinking is “…a part of a bona fide religious rite, ritual, or ceremony or in his or her permanent place of residence,” it is legal. This exception allows for parents to give their children alcohol as long as the alcohol is maintained within the parameters of the home.

However, this does not give parents the right to serve anyone other than their own children. For more information about underage drinking in the home, visit socialhost.drugfree.org.

So what if you are an underage student here at CSC, and you decide to party it up. And what if you are caught consuming or possessing alcohol?

Nebraska state laws punish those that are 18 harsher than those 19-20 years old.

If you are 18 or younger and are caught drinking you will be guilty of a class III misdemeanor, which means you can be fined up to $500, sentenced up to three months imprisonment, have your license suspended for 30 days, and be mandated to attend alcohol education classes (Neb. Rev. Stat.  53-181).

If you are caught a second to third time, your punishment extends the suspension of your license and tacks on hours of community service.

For those 19-20 years old, you may not have your license suspended but you will still be guilty of a class III misdemeanor with fines and/or imprisonment possible.

Thinking of giving a minor some of your giggle juice? Well if “…serious bodily injury or death to any person resulted and was proximately caused by a minor’s (a) consumption of the alcoholic liquor provided or (b) impaired condition which, in whole or in part, can be attributed to the alcoholic liquor provided” you are felon, guilty of a class IIIA felony. (Neb. Rev. Stat. 53-180.05).

Bottom line is if you are not 21, don’t drink. And if you are 21, drink responsibly and don’t give any of your hooch to the kids.

In either case, it is not worth the long-term repercussions you will be given that can ruin your future as an educator, law enforcer, or any other public service career.