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Politics & Government

New Law to Target Sunset Hills Parents Hosting Underage Drinking Parties

At the urging of a group of concerned parents, Sunset Hills has given initial approval to a law aimed at punishing parents who serve alcohol at teen parties.

At the urging of a local group of concerned parents, Sunset Hills has given initial approval to a law aimed at punishing parents that serve alcohol at teen parties.

The so-called Social Host Ordinance was approved unanimously during a first reading at the city’s aldermanic meeting on Tuesday night. If given final approval at the next aldermanic meeting in July, adults hosting underage drinking parties would face heavy fines — including compensating the city for emergency response services.

Members of the recently formed Lindbergh Safe and Drug Free Coalition (LSDFC) urged the board to approve the ordinance, which was modeled off a similar ordinance previously approved in Wildwood.

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Carol Treppler with LSDFC said the ordinance was needed to combat parties where parents routinely served alcohol to underage teens, such as parties following proms or other high school events.

“With this ordinance in place police will be able to say that if you are going to do this (host underage drinking parties), then there will be consequences,” Treppler said in lobbying the board for the ordinance’s approval.

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Fellow coalition member Lori Krueger said a similar group working within the Rockwood School District has been able to significantly lower underage drinking of alcohol and use of illegal drugs in teenagers.

“These are our kids. This is our community, and we hope to keep everyone safe,” Krueger told the board. Krueger said the group planned to lobby other neighboring cities to approve similar ordinances.

Aldermen overwhelmingly supported the ordinance and nearly suspended regular board rules to pass the measure with a single reading. However, Alderman Frank Hardy said he had concerns about inconsistencies in the ordinance’s language that led to the board voting to delay its final approval.

Alderman Thomas Hrastich said the delay was unnecessary.

“Now we’ll have a whole month of these types of parties going on, which I don’t believe is very wise,” Hrastich said.

The coalition formed in January and its 30 members hope to unite the community in an effort to combat alcohol and drug abuse in local teens.

For more information visit the coalition’s webpage within the Lindbergh School District’s website

In other news:

  • the board revoked the home occupation license of Midwest Flood Restoration following complaints the home was being used for prohibited business use. The board previously debated the action and unanimously revoked the license Tuesday with no discussion.
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