Good Example Of Essay On The Shoulder Tap Crime

(Educational Institution)
Alcohol consumption by underage individuals is a problem. There are countless movies that make excessive alcohol consumption seem like the gateway to endless fun. But there is a dark side to drinking that minors rarely even consider or know about. Drinking has health ramifications and that is one of the reasons that an individual must be a certain age to drink. The younger the consumption begins, then that increases the chances of dependency and health issues associated with drinking alcohol.
There are adults that tend to want to be “cool” and purchase alcoholic beverages for minors. When that action occurs, it is called the Shoulder Tap Crime. Many are not aware of such a crime, but it is an actual problem. This is quite the issue because if something harmful happens to the minor while under the influence of alcohol, then the person that purchased the drinks will be responsible. Nothing harmful even has to happen to a minor, but if they are caught with alcohol, underage drinking is a crime either way. The actual minor will have to deal with criminal charges on their own. The charges against the adult would be completely separate. If it can be proven that an adult purchased the alcohol for the minor, then the adult will have legal issues to deal with.
Now, it is possible for people to purchase a minor alcohol and have no idea that the person is underage. On the other hand, some adults do not care about the age, and do it anyway. It is a real issue with minors drinking when both the minors and adults are at a party. Certain factors should be considered. First of all, are the minors related to the host of the party, and if so, are their parents present? If the parents are present, then I believe it is up to the parents to make sure that minors are not consuming liquor. That liability should not be on the parent. When children are just friends to the family, then the host should take more careful measures to ensure that the minor does not consume alcohol. The host should make it clear that no adult is to issue alcohol to any person that they do not know, or is unsure of the age.
In the case that a host does come under fire for minors drinking at their party, then he or she should be able to defend themselves. It is not fair for him or her to be automatically convicted. That alone, is unconstitutional. The person should be given an opportunity to show that they were in no way complicit with the underage drinking. I believe that goes back to being innocent until proven guilty. I also think that the same leniency should be extended to bars and liquor stores. Sometimes, they deal with a large volume of clientele, and they probably follow the same procedure of checking identification cards. Minors can sometimes use fake identification to obtain liquor, and the issuer would be completely in the dark about their true age. There are many ways to get around obtaining liquor legally and truthfully, and a seller or provider should be given the chance to defend themselves. That is only fair, because sometimes there is no malicious intent on the part of the provider.
Underage drinking is a sticky situation. It is such a big deal because the minors of our society have to be protected. It is understandable that they believe that drinking is a fun thing to do, but age restrictions are in place for a reason. Those same restrictions are also for their own good. It is up to an adult to always use his or her best judgement when it comes to purchasing drinks for someone else. If they are unsure of the age, then it is best to yield to caution and refuse to make the purchase. A simple lapse in judgement can cause so many legal issues and moral dilemmas that are not even worth it.