The story recently published at chronline.com titled "Is it legal for parents in Washington state to let minors drink at home?" misses an important point.
Regardless of whether it’s legal for parents in Washington to allow underage drinking at home, it is dangerous and unhealthy for those under 21 to consume alcohol. The brain is still developing during the teenage years, making it more vulnerable to the harmful effects of drinking. Not only are learning and memory impaired, but studies show that drinking alcohol during this time also hampers cognitive and neural development and raises the risk for alcohol dependency later in life.
Given what we know about underage drinking, the focus shouldn’t be whether parents who provide alcohol to their own kids are abiding by the state’s laws — rather, whether or not it’s safe for them to do so.
Leslie Kimball
Washington, D.C
