Redondo Beach Moves To Curb Underage Drinking

REDONDO BEACH, CA – The Redondo Beach City Council unanimously passed a proposed new ordinance Tuesday night that would make adults responsible for underage drinking – and could result in a misdemeanor, up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine and reimbursement of any of the city's legal expenses, according to The Beach Reporter.

The municipal code, which will receive at least one more hearing before enacted into law, is intended to reduce the rate of teenage drinking and address disruptive house parties, the newspaper reported. There would, however, be exceptions in the ordinance to protect family and cultural events where parents or guardians give their permission for their children to take part in events, "which may involve the consumption of alcohol," according to the City Council administrative report.

"Purchase, possession or consumption of alcohol by minors in public or commercial settings is already prohibited under state law. However, state law does not prohibit minor consumption of alcohol on private property," the report reads. "Establishing a Social Host Ordinance can fill the gap in the law by providing law enforcement a tool to help address the problem of underage drinking at parties."

Social host ordinances were created, in part, because police officers have frequently been required to respond to parties, gatherings or events in order to disperse uncooperative participants, which causes a drain in resources. Most recently, police have seen 18-year-olds renting AirBnB's to host big parties, Kauffman told the newspaper. Others involve adults who allow teenagers to drink alcohol on their property.

Similar but less severe laws known as social host ordinances were passed by other cities including Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates. Those cities made the fine administrative, while Redondo Beach is looking to make them criminal.

“Social host is really letting our adults know that if you allow this in your home or in a private residence you are really running a risk of endangering our youth and endangering people in the community,” Police Chief Keith Kauffman told The Beach Reporter. “Currently, however, we don’t have the teeth to do that.”

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