Police Warn Teens, Adults About Prom Night

Alpharetta has zero tolerance for underage drinking, so the city's Public Safety Department is warning teens and their parents that prom parties are no reason to break those laws.

The city is sending a serious message to teens, their parents, and other adults concerning underage drinking and other prom night antics.

First and foremost, minors should not be allowed to drink alcohol, period.

“Young people who have consumed alcohol are far more likely to do things they would not normally do,” warned Alpharetta Public Safety Director Gary George in a news release.  “Beyond the threat of alcohol related car crashes, they are far more likely to get involved in dangerous situations or engage in sexual activity when alcohol is involved.”

Police are particularly warning parents and guardians that they will be held responsible and could be subject to criminal and civil sanctions if any underage drinking occurs on their property.

"Obviously we hope the parents will find it inappropriate to host these parties, but it's happened in the past," said George Gordon, spokesman for the department.

Minors will be charged with possession of alcohol if it is in their system or with them. And that applies to anyone under the age of 21 in Georgia as well.

"There's curfews, disorderly conduct, it would be a variety of things," Gordon said. "But we'll take enforcement action. We're not going to tolerate property damage...and things that can get a little bit out of hand."

In the past some teens have used paintball guns and bb guns, and bashed mailboxes as part of their prom night "fun."

"There's just a variety of things we are not going to tolerate," Gordon said.

So the Public Safety Department advises parents on how to assure their teens have safe, happy proms:

• Consider prohibiting their teens from attending overnight parties;
• Contact the parents who are hosting a party to ensure there will be no alcohol there;
• Discuss with their teens the dangers of drinking;
• Be accessible if the teenager needs to get in contact with them.

Party hosts should

• Monitor teenagers;
• Don't allow teens to come and go,
• Prohibit water bottles and backpacks that can be used to sneak alcohol and other substances into a party.

Teens also are getting themselves into trouble with pranks and vandalism associated with "Junior-Senior wars."

 “We want our teens to have a memorable prom experience,” says George.  “But we do not want those memories to be of embarrassing behavior, an arrest, or the death of a friend.”