Everyone knows that the best parties happen at Halloween. There’s something about the combination of extreme sugar, spookiness, and the strange cheerful zaniness of the season that makes the parties even more memorable. It’s why so many teens spend days learning about what Halloween parties are taking place and deciding which they’ll attend skip.
While there’s nothing wrong with going out and having a great time at local Halloween parties, teens do need to be smart and make sure they’re not breaking any laws while they have the time of their lives.
The first thing to remember is that parties aren’t a secret like they once were. Thanks to teens using social media sites to plan and discuss parties, it’s easy for the police to use the same social media sites to gain information about the party. If they get the impression the Halloween party is going to have a lot of drug use or underage drinking, it’s reasonable to assume that they could show up on at the party site and start making arrests.
Even if the cops don’t learn about the Halloween party via social media, if someone complains about the noise or something else that’s happening, the police will put in an appearance. While they are at the Halloween Party, they will be actively looking for intoxicated teens.
This year, like previous years, the police and courts are not fooling around when it comes to underage drinking. It doesn’t matter that it’s Halloween and that you only had one beer to celebrate. If they catch you drinking, you will face steep consequences that will have an instant impact on your life and your immediate future.
Teen who are caught drinking at Halloween parties will:
- Lose their driving privileges for as long as a year if they’re caught driving with anything more than a .01 blood alcohol level.
- Be fined up to $250 (plus court costs)
- Be required to participate in drug and alcohol counseling
- Be required to complete 24-32 hours of community service
If you’re going to a Halloween party, it’s important that you’re aware that even if you’re not actively drinking when the police knock on the door, you could still be in trouble. Just by holding a drink in your hand, you can be charged with being in possession of alcohol while a minor.
If you’re a teenager, the best way to enjoy the holiday without potentially getting into trouble with the law is making sure to only attend alcohol free parties.