Letter: Following alcohol trail's essential
Regulations limiting local access to alcohol may help curb partner assaults, study suggests Credit: HealthDay
Regarding "DWI on wrong LIE side" [News, Aug. 1], these incidents make eye-catching headlines. But what about the underlying story?
What about the fact that the accused, Eric Jones, was 20 years old, and therefore, any drinking was illegal for him? If police accounts are accurate, where and how did he obtain any alcohol, let alone enough for his blood-alcohol content to reach double the legal limit?
Was he drinking at a party? If so, both Nassau and Suffolk counties have social host laws. Was the host charged? Did he purchase the alcohol himself? If so, who was the store clerk responsible for selling? Was an ID checked? Was the clerk charged with selling to a minor? It is crucial to follow the "alcohol trail."
What is clear is that if this man were unable to get his hands on any alcohol, he could not have driven drunk. Very often, underage drinking prevention is crime prevention, and limiting youth access is one avenue to do so.
Judi Vining and Patricia Hincken, Long Beach
Editor's note: The writers are, respectively, coordinator and director of the Long Beach Medical Center's Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking.
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