News : Benton County Board of Supervisors passes Social Host Ordinance

The Benton County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 that is aimed
at reducing underage drinking and substance use. The vote makes Benton County the fifteenth county in the state to adopt a Social Host Ordinance regarding alcohol, and only the second in the state to include controlled substances.

The ordinance, number 66, otherwise known as the Social Host Ordinance, fines adults who knowingly allow youth to use their property for alcohol consumption or drug use. The fine schedule ($250 fine for a first offense, $500 fine for second offense, and $1000 fine for third and consecutive offenses) is designed to discourage adults from hosting or condoning gatherings of minors consuming alcohol or other controlled substances.

The Social Host Ordinance was presented to the Board of Supervisors in September 2012 by the Benton County Above the Influence Coalition, a group in Benton County dedicated to reducing substance use among youth. The ordinance was drafted by the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG) Committee, with assistance from Benton County Attorney, Dave Thompson, and is modeled after a similar ordinance in Washington County, Iowa.

For more information on the Social Host Ordinance, the Benton County Above the Influence Coalition, or the SPF SIG Committee, visit www.bcati.com or contact Jenn Draper at 319-472-2443.