As of January of this year, a new law in California increases the fines and penalties for people under the age of 21 who purchase, give away, or sell alcohol, or use a fake ID to obtain alcohol.
Most of the fines for these offenses have doubled in cost as a result of the bill. People who obtain alcohol for a minor now face a fine up to $1,000, and people caught making fake IDs may pay $2,500 and do 24 hours of community service.
Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, introduced Assembly Bill 1658 to the California State Assembly in April of 2007. The bill was passed and took effect this month.
“The cost of underage drinking in the United States is over $58 billion annually, or nearly $600 per American household each and every year. AB 1658 increases penalties for violations to better reflect the dangers of underage drinking and its costs to society,” Runner said in a press release.
Matthias Mendezona is the state executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a group which has given its formal support for AB 1658. Mendezona said the new law will help drive home the message about alcohol to underage drinkers and the people who supply them with alcohol.
“What this does is to reinforce the existing law, which really says that if you’re under 21, it’s illegal to drink. It’s not OK to drink at all,” Mendezona said.
Specifically, AB 1658 states that any person under 21 who “sells, furnishes, or gives away an alcoholic beverage to a person under 21 years of age” will pay a $500 fine the first time and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
Also, any person who presents a fake ID will be fined $500 on first offense and $1,000 thereafter.
A fine of $2,500 and 24 hours of community service will be imposed on anyone who sells or manufactures “a false or fraudulent written, printed or photographic” identification for the purpose of obtaining alcohol.
People under 21 who are caught drinking in public will pay $500 for their first offense and $1,000 for each one after that.
The bill primarily targets people who provide alcohol or fake IDs for minors. Most of the fines for the above offenses were doubled from their previous amount.
Nancy Greenstein, the director of police community services for the UCPD, said the purpose of these fines is to educate and warn people rather than to punish them.
“What we need to do … is to educate students on the problems you can encounter with alcohol abuse, and to prevent problems. We don’t want to see students receive tickets and then have to pay a lot of money,” Greenstein said.
George Gallegos, a UCLA alumnus and head partner of Gallegos Law Firm, said the increased fines are an added hardship to students. He said most students will just plead guilty and pay the charge, or, if they appear in court, represent themselves or use a public defender instead of a private lawyer.
“The increase in minimum fees unfortunately makes it extremely difficult for students to obtain private attorneys. Most students end up representing themselves or pleading guilty, and fail to recognize the consequences of having such a conviction on their record,” Gallegos said.
Mendezona said while the potential efficacy of the bill is debatable, he thinks the increased penalties are a step in the right direction.
“Anything that will drive home the point is serious business. It’s probably the right way to go,” Mendezona said.