Wet and Wild Teens

Jacob Sullum | April 8, 2011

Last week police in Plainville, Massachusetts, detained what Boston Globe reporter John M. Guilfoil describes as "dozens of underage partygoers." Did you know there was a minimum age for going to a party? Evidently there is in Massachusetts, provided alcohol is served at the party, even if you don't drink any. Police said the party's host was Tyler Rowley—who, at 19, is considered a legal adult in pretty much every respect except beer drinking. The attendees reportedly ranged from 15 to 22, but most were 17 or older. "All 53 partygoers," Michael Tracey notes, "were arrested, loaded into vans, and processed as criminals." He adds that "MyFoxBoston.com courageously posted the names of everyone who was arrested, including several minors." Guilfoil, the Globe reporter, says "the case was especially alarming because it involved some young people from the same school district as 17-year-old Taylor Meyer of Plainville, who wandered away from a Norfolk house party in 2008 and drowned in a swampy area." Janet Wu, a local TV reporter, agrees that "what makes this case most disturbing is the tragic history this town has with these kinds of parties." Tracey comments:

To recap, here's the logic: Anytime anyone between the ages of 15 and 22 drinks at a party in Plainville, Massachusetts, it should be considered an affront to the memory of Taylor Meyer.

Without minimizing the dangers of drinking too much or in the wrong context (it really can kill you!), it should be noted that alcohol consumption is normal among high school and college students and has been for as long as the government has been collecting data on it. So normal that it's a good bet Guilfoil and Wu, who shake their heads in disbelief at the very idea of people drinking before they reach the magical age of 21, had a sip or two back in the day. Instead of treating every "underage" drink as a crime, perhaps adults should be trying to minimize the damage by teaching teenagers the difference between responsible and reckless consumption. The prohibition regime that prevails for Americans younger than 21 is not conducive to this goal.

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Helen Lovejoy|4.8.11 @ 4:57PM|#

Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children!

Zeb|4.8.11 @ 5:03PM|#

I heard a similarly silly story recently about some kids who ate some too strong pot brownies and went to a school dance. As anyone who has eaten an unexpectedly strong pot brownie will imagine, kids started barfing and passing out at the dance. The reporter kept speaking as if the brownies were poisoned or something and calling them "adulterated". Not until the end of the story was it made clear that every kid who ate them knew what they were eating and that they were not in fact served at the dance as refreshments.

|4.8.11 @ 5:07PM|#

""The reporter kept speaking as if the brownies were poisoned or something and calling them "adulterated".""

If would call the brownies "adulterated" if pot was legal to adults. Then, that might be the only type of brownie I ever eat.

Invisible Finger|4.8.11 @ 5:35PM|#

Adulterated sounds a whole lot better than infantilized.

|4.8.11 @ 5:06PM|#

"perhaps adults should be trying to minimize the damage by teaching teenagers the difference between responsible and reckless consumption. ""

Sounds reasonable, except to folks who think there is no such thing as responsible consumption.

Jack Daniels|4.8.11 @ 5:13PM|#

Zero tolerance bitchez!

|4.8.11 @ 5:19PM|#

Oh we got trouble!
Right here in River City!

Contrarian P|4.8.11 @ 6:13PM|#

With a capital T which rhymes with B which stands for beer!

Publilius|4.8.11 @ 5:19PM|#

"All 53 partygoers," Michael Tracey notes, "were arrested, loaded into vans, and processed as criminals."

WTF? So if I go to someone else's party, I'm a criminal if an underage person walks in? That's like someone robbing a bank and running into my backyard in an attempt to get away from pursuing police, then arresting me as an accessory just because it was my property.

omg|4.8.11 @ 5:27PM|#

I was just about to say the same thing. Makes sense though, from a statist perspective. If someone in your car has weed, and they get busted, everyone in the car can be charged with possession, transportation, and all the other moronic laws regarding vegetation. It isn't much of a stretch to go from that logic to this "underage drinking" logic.

Robert|4.8.11 @ 10:48PM|#

I thought it'd be more like arresting all the employees and customers in the bank.

|4.8.11 @ 5:36PM|#

Sooooo...

Is it now illegal for my 12 year old niece to attend my parent's Christmas Party?

Concerned Observer|4.8.11 @ 5:39PM|#

And what about bar and bat mitzvahs?

Zeb|4.8.11 @ 7:15PM|#

I think there is generally an exception if parents are present.

Abdul|4.11.11 @ 7:32AM|#

Not so, and they often get extra criminal liability for corrupting minors, not to mention potential "Dram Shop" liability if someone drunkenly staggers into swampy area.

|4.11.11 @ 10:31AM|#

"Is it now illegal for my 12 year old niece to attend my parent's Christmas Party?"

Yes, and don't even think of inviting her to a wedding.

¢|4.8.11 @ 5:40PM|#

So if I go to someone else's party, I'm a criminal if an underage person walks in?

I'm a convicted adult-arriving-at-a-friend's-party-at-the-same-time-the-cops-showed-up-but-I-didn't-notice-them-and-my-friend's-girlfriend-is-holding-a-wine-bottle-as-she-opens-the-door-for-me-and-oh-shit-there's-two-cops-I-didn't-notice-right-behind-me.
And I alone was found legally responsible for her holding booze while young at his house, because my friend's parents were Prominent Citizens and I kinda look like I shot RFK.
So, maybe.

|4.8.11 @ 5:41PM|#

this is otherwise known as "Friday night" around these parts.

*waves to Mike Tracey*

Masshole Teenagers|4.8.11 @ 5:41PM|#

We've gawtta drink with the way owah Sawx ah playin! Go Celtics!

Teddy K|4.8.11 @ 5:55PM|#

This all could have been avoided if they just let me drive.

alan|4.8.11 @ 6:01PM|#

I'm gonna have a drink. There is too much stupid going on in that article to process in one setting.

Tman|4.8.11 @ 6:11PM|#

This whole blog today has been full of some quality stupid.

Have a few for me, I have two hours of work left.

alan|4.8.11 @ 6:02PM|#

Sitting, I mean, but it is a change of settings too.

Cabeza de Vaca|4.8.11 @ 7:09PM|#

http://dmjuice.desmoinesregist...../1001/NEWS

I can't believe this retarded story has gone national.

Teenage religious fanatic gets high for the first time on K2. Then freaks out & commits suicide.
His religous fanatic parents start campaign to imprison people for voluntarily getting high. Media & politicians cheer.

mr simple|4.8.11 @ 8:31PM|#

"The problem is, this is a more dangerous drug than marijuana," said Sen. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola, who backs the broader, tougher version. "My fear is it's on the verge of dying, which I think would be a tragedy."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

So basically, everyone in Indianola, IA is an idiot.

Otto|4.8.11 @ 10:05PM|#

"The problem is, this is a more dangerous drug than marijuana,"

Every drug is a more dangerous drug than marijuana, dumbass - including aspirin. And if marijuana were legal, that kid might be alive today.

mad libertarian guy|4.9.11 @ 2:22AM|#

His religous fanatic parents start campaign to imprison people for voluntarily getting high.

Where the fuck have they been, and can I go to this mythical land where there is NOT a drug war where those who voluntarily get high get imprisoned?

|4.8.11 @ 7:14PM|#

We're fucked.

Chile looks better every day.

Almanian|4.8.11 @ 10:45PM|#

"what makes this case most disturbing is ~~the tragic history this town has with these kinds of parties~~the reaction of the police and other 'adults' in this fucking hyper overreaction to kids being kids, especially when no apparent ill effects resulted from the kids' activities."

FUCK! The stupid is strong today.

And fuck Massachusetts. I hope you fucking statist bastards all choke on Romney-Care™-provided drugs that were prescribed incorrectly and drown in your own spittle and bile.

*spits on picture of Fenway Pahk*

Rrabbit|4.8.11 @ 10:57PM|#

Do I understand correctly that allowing anybody younger than 21 to a wedding party makes everybody who attends the wedding a criminal?

AlmightyJB|4.10.11 @ 12:27PM|#

It's subjective, which is how they like it.

|4.9.11 @ 4:08PM|#

How many teenagers in Italy go on benders?
Kind of funny how in societies that let children sip wine, and that you drink it for pleasure, and not to get drunk, don't seem to have these problems.

|4.10.11 @ 3:51PM|#

The sad thing is most of the 53 people arrested will probably grow up into 40-something parents who cheer on this kind of B.S.

Big pony|4.10.11 @ 8:52PM|#

I like what you have said..come on..

chaussures air max|4.11.11 @ 1:33AM|#

zhenshibuxinga

John from MS|5.11.11 @ 12:11PM|#

I know from experience that teens who enjoy the occasional drink alongside their parents at home are less likely to drink irresponsibly away from home. If government would leave the drinking age to the parents to decide for their own children, teen drinking would not be the problem that it is.

small toy|7.19.11 @ 4:13AM|#

ok,It's subjective, which is how they like it.

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