ASAP, in partnership with the Youth Coalition, has launched the Be A Parent, Not A Peer campaign at the Oak Ridge, Anderson County and Clinton High School football games as well as other events throughout the county.\u00a0 Hundreds of pledges have been signed by other adults stating that they will not be an enabler and will not supply alcohol to underage teens, they will not encourage underage drinking and will also talk to other parents about their rules before allowing their child to spend time in their home.<\/p>\n
Enabling underage drinking is dangerous and can lead to not only legal consequences, for both adults and teens, but can cause a variety of health risks as well.\u00a0 In Tennessee, it is against the law for a host to knowingly allow an underage adult (someone who is younger than 21 years old) to consume alcohol on property the host owns or controls.\u00a0 It is illegal for a person to give or buy alcohol for any minor for any purpose.\u00a0 You can read more about Tennessee\u2019s Social Host Liability Law in Tennessee Code Annotated \u00a7 39-15-404.<\/p>\n
Alcohol has negative physical effects on underage drinkers which are especially important for student athletes to be aware of.\u00a0 One night of drinking can erase as much as 2 weeks of athletic training and effects of alcohol on the brain can include nerve tissue damage, problems with attention span, and difficulty comprehending and interpreting visual information.<\/p>\n