Shortly before midnight on Saturday Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department received a call about an underage drinking party.
Sheriff’s deputies with the assistance of the Iowa State Patrol went to 22219 Indigo Avenue northeast of Clear Lake and found several minors drinking. All minors at the residence where asked to take breathalyzer tests and those that were drinking were cited for either possession of alcohol or public consumption.
Toan Minh Nguyen, age 19, of Mason City was arrested and transported to Cerro Gordo County jail on one count of interference with official acts, and minor consumption of alcohol.
The two occupants of the residence were charged with violating social host ordinance number 51.
Cerro Gordo County Social Host Ordnance number 51 was passed and approved on October 27th, 2009 and applies throughout Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, including municipalities that have not enacted a municipal ordinance dealing with similar subject matter.
Part of the ordinance reads as follows:
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS
“Social host” means any person who aids, allows, entertains, organizes, supervises, controls or permits an event, gathering, or party. This includes, but is not limited to: (1) the person(s) who owns, rents, leases, or otherwise has control of the premises where the event, gathering, or party takes place; (2) the person(s) in charge of the premises; or (3) the person(s) responsible for organizing the event, gathering, or party.
SECTION 2. AFFIRMATIVE DUTIES
“It is the duty of the social host of an event, gathering, or party to take all reasonable steps to prevent alcoholic beverages from being possessed or consumed by underage persons on the premises. Reasonable steps include, but are not limited to:
a. Controlling underage persons’ access to alcoholic beverages,
b. Controlling the quantity of alcoholic beverages,
c. Verifying the age of persons being served, in the possession of, or consuming alcoholic beverages at the event, gathering, or party by inspecting drivers’ licenses or other government-issued identification cards,
d. Supervising the activities of underage persons at the party, and
e. Notifying law enforcement of underage possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, and allowing law enforcement to enter the premises for the purpose of stopping the possession or consumption by underage persons.”
SECTION 3. PROHIBITIONS
“a. It is unlawful for any social host of an event, gathering, or party on the social host’s premises to knowingly permit or allow underage persons to consume alcoholic beverages, or knowingly permit or allow underage persons to possess alcoholic beverages on the premises, whether or not the social host is present on the premises.”
SECTION 6. PENALTIES
“a. Violations of Section 3(a) are declared to be county infractions, punishable by civil penalty. A seven hundred and fifty dollar ($750.00) civil penalty shall be imposed for a social host’s first offense. A one thousand dollar ($1,000.00) civil penalty shall be imposed for a social host’s second or subsequent offense. The County may also seek reimbursement for enforcement services provided by emergency responders related to the event, gathering, or party.”
alice, you’re so oblivious to the real world. i bet your teenager is out drinking at a party right now. and if not, its comin hunny. we’ll see how you handle it, i bet youll be crawled up in a ball in your bed cryin yourself to sleep because you really thought that highly of every kid that steps into this world.
I think that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 as well. What would be so wrong about that? A .000 BAC to drive until they turn 21 where the .080 BAC would take effect would encourage kids to develope a habit of making sure a sober driver is appointed. A habit that would take a lot of drunk drivers off the road in time.
The youth is alot smarter than we credit them to be, In fact I fully support lowering the drinking to 18. By the age of 18 kids are considered to be adults in which they can go overseas, fight and die for our country but they are not allowed to enjoy a beer before hand? That’s not right. If you look at all the owi’s and dui’s the majority does not come from the younger generation, it comes from they older generation. The parents. These kids are and can be responsible if they wanted to. I’ve know plenty of young adults who planned to have a dd.
First of all, who says that everyone who drinks brags about it ?
Second of all, who says that the kids who drink don’t have a plan and have designated drivers ? Just because they drink doesn’t mean they can’t drink responsibly age has nothing to do with drinking responsibly. If age had something to do with drinking responsibly we wouldn’t have drunk drivers over 21 would we ?
Why do people drink ? To loosen up and have a little fun, when the world we live in is so demanding and strict you might want to not be you for a little while. Would you rather these kids commit suicide ? Or go smoke pot ?
Alice, sorry you never got invited to any parties. If you got off that soapbox and loosen up, you might. I can honestly say drinking made my college days way more fun. Nothing wrong with some drinking at age 19. Cops need to lay off. We can’t all be saints.
when kids are 19 years old and living on there own their parents have no effect on what they do it is their own choice.
Thank you.
Alice, thank you for making that point about underage kids drinking and how peoples minds would change if they would actually experience an accident like that. For those kids that were at that party they are all irresponsible and think that they are sooo awesome for drinking and getting away with it, when really they are just on the right track for running their lives into the ground. Those kids have a lesson coming for them the hard way if they don’t stop drinking and bragging about it, it’s sad when people have to learn a lesson from an accident instead of using their brains. An easy cure for this problem is parents, truly.
Another thing….thank God this party was busted up before they all got into their cars to drive home! I have nothing against drinking, responsibly. I have a HUGE problem with drinking and driving, and a HUGE problem with underage drinking! Once you’ve been to a funeral with 3 caskets, all killed by a drunk driver, it’s quite an eye opener!
Anonymous!!! Meth labs??? Seriously! I am the parent of a teenager and would have kicked her ass if she were at an under age beer party. You obviously aren’t a parent.
This is HILARIOUS!!! Idiots these days! About time they get busted, since they all brag about how drinking is soooooo cool1
go bust some meth labs u pussies