With a party, loud music and drinking, it probably is not surprising that 18 people in South Carolina were arrested for underage drinking. Those at the party ranged in ages from 17 to 20.

It's also not surprising that the alcohol was provided to the teenagers by adults. Two 21-year old individuals were accused of providing alcohol to the youth, and another 21-year individual was accused of trying to hinder the police.

What is of interest is that the adults supplying the alcohol just recently became adults themselves. These are individuals entrusted to make adult decisions that some of their friends that are just a few months younger are not allowed to make. Yet the consequences of an arrest can follow an individual, and teenagers will often make decisions that may affect their lives in the long term.

Teenagers arrested for underage drinking may have to put off their education. They may be institutionalized for a perceived substance abuse problem that may or may not exist. They may face jail time that was not warranted for a mistake of judgment. They may be introduced to a new peer group that parents would wish they never had discovered.

Attorneys and legal counsel can advise teenagers accused of underage drinking and their parents to make sure that future opportunities are not jeopardized due to youthful indiscretions. It serves no purpose for the penalties of underage drinking to severely outweigh the act that is being punished. The typical teenager will hopefully will learn his or her lesson after that first arrest.

Source: The Republic, "18 young people accused of underage drinking at party in Rock Hill," Feb. 7, 2012