What the Legislature couldn't do, Madison and Canton might do.
A "social host" bill that would punish parents for allowing teenagers to drink at parties in their homes died on the legislative calendar this year, but the Canton and Madison police chiefs say they would propose similar ordinances in their cities.
"I can't wait to get back and start drafting one," Canton Chief Vickie McNeill said at a community town hall meeting Monday in Madison that dealt with the issue of underage drinking. "Parents are a big part of the problem."
Community support proved to be the impetus in most other states for passage of social hosting laws, said Caroline Newkirk, a prevention specialist with Mississippians Advocating Against Underage Drinking. "Nine out of 10 times, it started at the community level and trickled up (to state legislatures), not down," she said.
Madison County Herald
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