Underage drinking definitely happens all the time, and the average American has their first drink before they reach the legal drinking age. This is certainly something that many people either remember doing in high school or are nervous about what their own children will be doing in high school – or both.
But you may be wondering where these teenagers get alcohol in the first place. The law prohibits them from making the purchase, so they can’t just go to a convenience store and buy alcohol. They’re clearly getting it from somewhere, so how are they doing it?
Fake IDs
Some teenagers do go directly to convenience stores and buy alcohol, using fake IDs. In some cases, younger teens will just use an older sibling’s ID.
Proxy buyers
Other teenagers may know someone who will buy for them, perhaps an older friend who already went off to college. In some cases, even parents and siblings will buy for younger family members. They can then distribute the alcohol to their friends.
Theft
In many cases, teens don’t purchase alcohol at all. They just steal it. It’s not as if they go to the local grocery store and steal it (at least not in most cases). But teens may steal alcohol out of a parent’s liquor cabinet or from a friend’s parent’s fridge when they’re over to visit.
These are just a few of the tactics teens use, but it’s clear that it’s very easy for them to get alcohol, despite laws prohibiting it. If your teenager has been accused of possessing alcohol while underage, you need to know exactly what options you have to protect their future.
