In the wake of Colorado’s landmark decision to legalize recreational use of marijuana, a state senator is now sponsoring a bill that will allow adults age 18 and over to consume alcohol in public settings, as long as it is under a parent’s supervision. Under current law, parents may only allow their adult children to drink on private property.
Senator Greg Brophy explained to the Associated Press that he hatched the idea after taking his 20 year-old-daughter out for her birthday, but could not buy her a drink because she was not of legal drinking age.
Brophy’s theory is that the State of Colorado should not deny responsible parents the right to show their adult children how to responsibly consume alcohol, especially in public places. He says that this would be a benefit to young adults because it would give them a better view on how to drink responsibly, as opposed to the riotous drinking that they would be exposed to on college campuses.
He believes that he would gain a great deal of support, but special interest groups could derail the proposal. In addition to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Colorado Restaurant Association also expressed some ambivalence about having the additional burden of deciding who should (and should not) be served alcohol.
Currently, eleven states allow adults over the age of 18 to drink alcohol with their parent’s consent, including Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
We will continue to monitor this proposal. If you have any questions regarding Colorado law on underage drinking, please see our website.
Source: HuffingtonPost.com, Greg Brophy Colorado State Senator, pushes to legalize alcohol for 18-year-olds, January 10, 2013