Orange County Announces Partnership With ADAC to Raise Awareness About Social Host Law

From Orange County:

Goshen, N.Y. – Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus and a contingent of County officials announced on Monday a partnership with the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County to raise awareness about the County’s Social Host Law.

Neuhaus was joined at the event by District Attorney David Hoovler, Sheriff Carl E. DuBois, Chairman of the Legislature Steve Brescia, Captain Brendan Casey of the State Police, Troop F and Jim Conklin, who serves as Executive Director of ADAC of Orange County.

“When I signed the Social Host Law, I said that Orange County would collaboratively develop a publicity campaign to help educate residents about this important legislation,” Neuhaus said. “This multi-faceted initiative will ensure that parents and students are educated about the legislation. This is especially relevant because prom and graduation season is upon us. We want to send a strong message to the children and adults in our community that Orange County will not tolerate behavior that endangers our citizens.”

Proposed initiatives for Orange County’s partnership with ADAC will include:

· Parents Who Host Lose the Most Workshops. ADAC provides this educational program, which educates communities and parents about the health and safety risks of serving alcohol at teen parties.

· Working with Orange-Ulster BOCES, develop assemblies and prevention activities at Orange County high schools.

· Social Host Law letter writing campaign aimed at high school students and parents.

· Youth and adult alcohol awareness programs.

· Educational videos.

“Every drink consumed by someone underage originates with an adult,” Conklin said. “It can be an illegal sale, a shoulder tap purchase, or an older friend, relative, or parent knowingly or unknowingly providing alcohol. For this reason, our community needs and will benefit from this new Social Host legislation. It is an added protective factor for the youth of Orange County.”

According to a recent Orange County Youth Development survey conducted in cooperation with Orange-Ulster BOCES, 15 percent of eighth-graders, 34 percent of sophomores and 55 percent of seniors use alcohol. In addition, eight percent of eighth-graders, 20 percent of tenth-graders and 40 percent of seniors have acknowledged binging on alcohol over a two-week period. Fifty percent of students have consumed alcohol with their parent’s permission, the study concluded. Twelve Orange County schools were polled as part of the survey.

The social host law is aimed at deterring minors from the consumption of alcoholic beverages by holding anyone 18 years of age or older responsible when they permit the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors on premises. Under the new law, it is illegal for homeowners or any host 18 years or older to knowingly allow underage drinking at their home or a party, or to not take action to stop underage drinking once they find out about it.

ADAC is dedicated to the public health issue of alcohol and other drug addictions, providing residents with programs and services to address substance abuse and addiction as a health condition which affects the individual, family and the community. The non-profit organization provides information, referral and outreach services, as well as operating a School of Addiction Studies that provides credentialing in substance abuse for all human service professionals.

“Be a parent first, not a friend,” DuBois said. “That’s where you can get into trouble with the Social Host Law. Parents have to be decision makers. I think that is where some parents get confused. Our goal is to make sure that parents know that there will be consequences if they break the Social Host Law. Our youth are the future of the community and all of us here today will do everything we can to protect them.”

Hoovler and Casey announced at the news conference that the State Police made its first Social Host Law arrest on April 3, 2016. The arrest came as a result of a party held at a family residence in Monroe two days earlier. The parents at the home were charged under Section 4A of the County’s Social Host Law with Unlawful Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor on Premises, which is a Violation.

The parents, who were cooperative with State Police, were arraigned on April 25. The case has been adjourned until May 9. Orange County’s Social Host Law went into effect on March 17, 2016.

“Orange County’s Social Host Law is designed to provide the wake-up call that many parents need, the signal that they can’t sit idly by while children consume alcohol in places where the parents can help put a stop to it,” Hoovler said. “Our police agencies have already begun to enforce the new law, and we will provide whatever support we can to help ensure that parents comply with it.”

For more information, contact Justin Rodriguez, Assistant to the County Executive for Communications and Media Relations at 845.291.3255 or jrodriguez@orangecountygov.com.

Photos: 1. (From left to right) Jim Conklin, Sheriff Carl DuBois, District Attorney Hoovler and County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus talk after Monday’s news conference; 2. County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus addresses the audience at Monday’s news conference with District Attorney Hoovler, Sheriff DuBois and Steve Brescia, Chairman of the Orange County Legislature, looking on.