Underage Drinking

Alcohol Law Enforcement special agents are vigorous in their efforts to stop the illegal sale of alcohol to and consumption of alcohol by minors. In addition to their law enforcement responsibilities, ALE special agents provide training programs that educate high school and college students on the dangers of drinking alcoholic beverages.

Penalties

A person under the age of 21 caught purchasing, attempting to purchase or possessing alcohol will be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor. Sentencing is left to the judge's discretion. If convicted, the Division of Motor Vehicles revokes that person's driver's license. 

  • A 19 or 20-year-old caught possessing beer or wine can be charged with a Class 3 misdemeanor and if found guilty could be fined up to $200 and lose his or her driver's license.
  • For the first offense, a person convicted of selling or providing alcohol to someone under the age of 21 must pay a $250 fine plus $100 in court costs and do 25 hours of community service.
  • A person convicted of aiding and abetting the sale of or providing alcohol to a minor must pay a $500 fine plus court costs and do 25 hours of community service work.
  • In addition to fines and court costs, those convicted of breaking the state alcohol laws may have to pay attorney's fees and may not be employed by a business that holds an ABC permit for a period of two years following conviction.
  • It is illegal for anyone to loan his or her ID to someone else to obtain alcohol. Upon conviction, DMV will revoke the loaner's driver's license.

Underage Drinking Facts

  •  Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among young people, nearly 20% of youth between the ages of 12 to 20 self-reported that they drank alcohol in the past 30 days (SAMHSA).
  • 23% of high school students had alcohol in the past month, but many have also engaged in other dangerous alcohol-related, risky behaviors: 17% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, 14% binge drank, and 5% drove after drinking alcohol (TalkItOutNC).
  • 15% of 8th graders have consumed alcohol in the last year (TalkItOutNC).
  • Every year, more than 4,000 alcohol-related deaths among young people are under the age of 21 (TalkItOutNC).
  • In 2021, there were nearly 20 teen fatalities in North Carolina due to drunk driving (TalkItOutNC).
  • Alcohol-related deaths among people 16-20 years old increased nearly 30% between 2019 and 2020 (TalkItOutNC).
  • 1 in 4 crashes with teens involve an underage drunk driver (MADD).
  • More adolescents use alcohol than tobacco or marijuana (NIAAA).
  • Alcohol kills 6.5 times more young people under the age of 21 than all other illicit drugs combined (AbsoluteAdvocacy).
  •  Children who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence at some point in their lives (AbsoluteAdvocacy).
  • There is a 41% chance of developing a substance use disorder in kids who begin drinking before the age of 15 (TalkItOutNC).