Rainier Says "No" to Teen Drinking: City Council Passes State's Second Social Host Law

By: Together!

RAINIER -- The Rainier City Council has passed a law that aims to curb underage drinking. It goes into effect June 21.

If an underage gathering involving alcohol occurs, Ordinance 607 will hold responsible the person who owns, rents, leases or controls the property where the party happened. Breaking the law will have civil repercussions, including fines. It's only the second such "social host" law in the state, following Mercer Island.

Some parents believe teens are safer if allowed to drink in their own homes, but teens brains are still developing, and introducing alcohol can do damage. Social host ordinances are an effective strategy for reducing underage alcohol use. The goal is to get parents and property owners working together to prevent underage drinking. "This isn't just about enforcement, it's about educating our community that there is never a safe time for minors to consume alcohol," said Rainier Mayor Randy Schleis.

"I think it's going to help," said Tameka Brice, a Rainier High School graduate and member of the Rainier Community Coalition who now attends the University of Washington. "Since 2004, four people I've known have been killed by drunk driving."

Planning partners and supporters include TOGETHER!, Target Zero Thurston, local law enforcement and judicial representatives, the Rainier Community Coalition, the stateCoalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, and the state Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery. For more information on social host laws and how alcohol affects teens, visit the sites for the Liquor Control Board or the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.