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15+
— Make Time to Listen; Take Time to Talk
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Make Time to Listen…Take Time to Talk about "It's the Law"
Reinforcing the importance of good health and positive choices needs to be coordinated by the school, family and community to have the greatest impact on youth behavior. It's important that we build and reinforce resistance skills in our youth to help them recognize and resist social pressures. This will make them better prepared to avoid illegal and/or unsafe situations. Youth should not be getting mixed messages from people in their family or the community who are not being positive role models or who are providing alcohol, tobacco and other drugs to them. The "social hosting" law stipulates that anyone who knowingly provides alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, or who allows any land or residence they rent or own to be used for underage drinking can be fined up to $1,000 and may even receive jail time. This law is supported by scientific research confirming that a young person's brain has not fully developed until the early to mid twenties. It is also illegal to provide tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18. It's up to all of us to protect our youth so that they can grow to be responsible and productive adults.
