Citation given to owner of property where underage youth are drinking
Social Host ordinances more directly targets underage drinking than nuisance party ordinances
Nuisance ordinances focuses on the disturbance caused by unruly parties and targets the party host. This type of ordinance is effective in areas where underage age and young adults have frequent parties causing a disturbance often around a university campus or beach area.
Both are more effective when they are civil rather than criminal ordinances.
- Civil ordinances are more easily enforced usually with a ticket
- Enforced more often since they are a fine rather than an arrest
- Timely adjudication
Social host ordinances are often used to prosecute host following an alcohol-related crash of an underage person and they are often unenforced.
Nuisance ordinances target areas with large underage and young adult populations. The intent of the nuisance ordinances is to reduce alcohol-related problems as well as address underage drinking.
Publicizing each of these ordinances is an important component to advise party hosts that that they will be held accountable and it is most effective when accompanied by credible party enforcement efforts where the local ordinances are used.