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player ready...The emotional debate over Naperville’s underage drinking law continued Tuesday, with some parents and residents continuing to oppose the law and others supporting it in a City Council meeting.
Many parents in recent weeks have been calling for a repeal of the city’s Alcohol Presence Restriction Ordinance that allows police to ticket underage non-drinking youths for attending parties where alcohol is consumed. Some parents have contended the law is unfair and a punishment for young adults making good choices.
“Kids want to go to parties and hang out with their friends,” said resident Joan Schaeffer. “Those who just say no should be congratulated. They are role models.”
Residents supporting the ordinance, however, argue that sober youths attending underage drinking parties are at greater risk of being attacked or assaulted by those consuming alcohol.
“This is exactly the tool that parents need. We want to give kids no mixed messages. We don’t want to put young people in risk-filled situations,” said Judy Kreamer, a past and present leader of many anti-substance abuse organizations.
The city passed a law in 1997 restricting teens from attending drinking parties, and it was amended last year so teens who abstain at such parties would not be charged with possession but could be cited and fined just for being there.
A report submitted to City Council members this week by the Naperville Police Department shows that from Jan. 1 to July 5, 2003, 147 citations were issued for violations of the ordinance. Between Jan. 1 and July 5, 2004, the number of such citations dropped to 120, bolstering the Police Department’s claim that the law deters underage drinking parties.
In response to a council question about the law’s effectiveness, the police report said that without a restriction, youths are free to come and go at alcohol parties. The ordinance amendment was designed to send a message to youths to avoid these situations, the report said.
“We have alcohol problems in this community,” Police Chief David Dial said. “We are responding to calls in this community for service. We are not making these calls up.”
Many residents also said the 2001 death of Stacey Blundell, 17, was the catalyst for the city’s efforts to curb underage drinking.