What is the Social Host Law?
Know the Law… Providing and allowing minors under 21 to drink in Connecticut is against the law.
Under the law, parents can be held liable for episodes of underage drinking that occur in their house.
The Social Host Law states it is “AN ACT PROHIBITING CERTAIN PERSONS FROM ALLOWING MINORS TO POSSESS ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR IN DWELLING UNITS AND ON PRIVATE PROPERTY”.
It prohibits anyone who owns or controls private property, including a dwelling unit, from recklessly, or with criminal negligence, permitting anyone under age 21 to illegally possess alcohol in the unit or on the property. Existing law prohibits knowingly allowing such possession.
The law also requires any such person who knows that a minor possesses alcohol illegally to make reasonable efforts to stop it. The act extends liability for failure to halt possession to a person who acts recklessly or with criminal negligence.
The act increases the penalty for a violation to a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum one year imprisonment or up to a $2000 fine.
The Person in control does not have to be present, does not have to be aware of the drinking, nor do they have to be an adult to be held liable.
For more information, please reach out to Milford Prevention Council at [email protected]
