A Little Booze Gives Too-Young Drinkers Long Line of Consequences

Whether they're using fake IDs to get into downtown bars, boozing in local parks or at tippin' 'em back at house parties, police want underage drinkers to "face the music."

"I think it's a problem wherever it is," Sgt. Gregg Bell said. "Teenagers and young adults in general … They have a tendency to experiment in shall we say, unhealthy decisions in regards to alcohol."

The c has declared April to be Underage Alcohol Prevention Awareness Month, during which it will partner with the Illinois Liquor Control Commission and other state and local organizations to put the crime in the limelight. The initiative ties into Project Sticker Shock—a statewide program that focuses on the consequences of underage drinking.

"During the month of April, posts, window decals, stickers and proof of age signs will be posted in liquor establishments reminding customers that providing alcohol to minors is illegal, unhealthy and unacceptable," said Councilman Grant Wehrli, who read a proclamation for the upcoming awareness month at a regular City Council meeting.

The document was presented to Naperville Police Sgt. Mark Ksiazek and Naperville Police Det. Mark English.

Local fees for minors who are caught drinking start at $120, Bell said. But earning a citation means you earn a court date too.

The tickets are all "must appear" violations and, "a lot of the time, the judge will impose a much higher and stiffer penalty because they truly try to drive home the fact that these kids aren't old enough to drink," Bell said.

He didn't specify Thursday how many underage drinkers are cited each month for violating the city's alcohol ordinance, but said the issue is by no means exclusive to Naperville.

"I think you see about normal what you would see for a community our size, especially one with a college situated within its borders," he said. "That [North Central] college is situated right in our downtown area."

He thinks many young adults don't know the consequences of drinking underage. Altering an Illinois identification card to get into a bar or buy alcohol can get you a driver's license suspension because it shows you're disregarding the Illinois secretary of state, Bell said.

Anyone who sells or gives alcohol to a minor in Illinois is subject to a $2,500 fine, and a teen may be sentenced to six months in jail if found with alcohol in a public place, according to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission.

A parent or guardian can spend up to a year in jail for allowing underage drinking to occur in his or her home.

Bell is asking drinkers to think twice.

"People really need to think about what they're doing," he said. "This stuff can get you in a world of trouble."