On May 11th, a 20-year-old Arizona State University student was left unconscious in a wheelchair at a local ER with a post-it note stuck to his body to alert staff that he had been drinking heavily and needed help. By the time medical personnel began treatment, the young man’s skin was blue and he was having difficulty breathing. The student had consumed approximately 20 shots of tequila as part of a drinking competition and had a potentially fatal BAC of 0.47 percent. While the young man received medical care in time to save his life, his friends delayed seeking help for him because they were afraid of getting into trouble.
Unfortunately, cases of alcohol poisoning involving minors can have a very different ending. Kenny Hummel, an 18-year-old Washington State University student died in October from acute alcohol poisoning with a BAC of 0.4 percent. And soon the national Delta Tau Delta fraternity will be on trial for the October 2008 death of 18-year-old Johnny Dupree Smith, a Wabash College (IN) student who died after a night of drinking at a fraternity-sponsored event.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that thousands of college students are treated for alcohol poisoning every year and an estimated 1,825 students annually die from alcohol-related incidents, including motor vehicle accidents.
In response to the death of Kenny Hummel and other recent alcohol poisoning incidents involving minors, Washington State became the 12th state to pass an “Alcohol Amnesty” law that establishes limited immunity from prosecution for minors who seek medical help in cases of alcohol poisoning.
The Michigan-based Medical Amnesty Initiative advocates for passage of “911 Lifeline” laws and cites studies that indicate minors are often afraid to call 911 for help, especially when they are intoxicated themselves, and that calls to 911 have risen significantly in states that have passed immunity laws.
Are “Alcohol Amnesty” and “911 Lifeline” laws the right way to reduce deaths from underage drinking and alcohol poisoning? Should minors who drink be prosecuted in all cases, or should there be leeway when a life is at risk?
As the father of a child in mortal danger of dying from alcohol poisoning which outcome would I want to see…my child dead because everyone was afraid to do anything for fear of severe retribution or my child alive?
Save my child and I’d even pitch in for a lawyer for the one who took him to the hospital.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
“Alcohol use by persons under age 21 years is a major public health problem. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs, and is responsible for more than 4,700 annual deaths among underage youth. Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. More than 90% of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks. On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers. In 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by persons under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.”
In fact, the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among high school students, during the past 30 days, 39% drank some amount of alcohol, 22% binge drank, 8% drove after drinking alcohol, and 24% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
In 2011, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 25% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 16% reported binge drinking. Also In 2011, the Monitoring the Future Survey reported that 33% of 8th graders and 70% of 12th graders had tried alcohol, and 13% of 8th graders and 40% of 12th graders drank during the past month.
Given these alarming statistics, my opinion is that limited penalties for underage drinking would simply exacerbate an already serious issue. If youth feel no consequences exist for their actions, they are likely to be repeated. In my opinion, the more appropriate solution to this epidemic is early education from parents, schools, and health care professionals. This education should not only address both the legal and health related consequences of underage drinking, but also how to effectively deal with peer pressure. If addressed early and consistently, youth have a better chance of making sound, informed decisions about alcohol thus reducing the behavior of risky drinking.
It’s so hard to weigh in on a heavy topic like this because, while I agree that kids should be able to approach authority figures to ask for help without fear, it’s difficult to tell whether this law will actually encourage this sort of behavior. Leniency for minors seems like a good idea because we can all sympathize with being young and naive, but it’s also important that we learn that our actions have consequences early on so that we don’t make bigger mistakes as adults.