​Montgomery County police officer Bill Morrison discussed the legal consequences of underage drinking with parents Jan. 17.

The PTSA invited Morrison to speak after the monthly PTSA meeting in response to the Dec. 10 house party in which about 35 students were cited and the Dec. 17 basketball game against Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS after which eight students were cited.

To prevent those under 21 from buying their own alcohol, Morrison is in charge of cracking down on D.C. stores that sell alcohol to minors as young as 14-years-old. He said the eight students who were cited on the night of the B-CC basketball game all bought their alcohol from one store in D.C.

Morrison said he hopes to prevent future incidents by emphasizing the need for more parental intervention to ensure student safety.

​“The part of my job I don’t like is when a tragedy occurs,” Morrison said. “I hate to get that call knowing I have to put the pieces back together.”

​Morrison answered questions from concerned parents and clarified the difference between citations for minors and those over 18, whether a citation remains on a student’s permanent record and the legal consequences parents can face for hosting a party that involves underage drinking.

​According to Morrison, minors can sometimes face harsher penalties for a citation than adults for underage drinking, including a fine of up to $500, community service and mandatory attendance at drinking education classes. Those over 18, but under 21, face the same punishments but with a smaller fine. He went on to explain that a citation can be cleared from an underage drinker’s permanent record if the person complies with the court’s punishment.

​Underage drinking can also affect parents, as parents who host an underage drinking party now face up to a $5000 fine for each person cited, up from $1500, Morrison said.

Morrison discussed the issue of parental complacency, stating there are too many parents that have no issue with underage drinking.

​“We have a lot of parents condoning, supporting and buying alcohol for minors these days,” he said.

​There are several trends among underage drinkers that Morrison said he’s seen developing over the last few years, such as replacing binge drinking with “attention” drinking, or drinking excessively to gain notoriety among peers.

On a more positive note, however, Morrison said he’s also noticed a change in the reasons kids report parties.

​“It’s surprising how many kids these days will call in to report underage drinking parties because they want to avoid some sort of terrible tragedy,” he said. “It’s traditionally thought of as a revenge tactic.”

​Over his lifetime of experience, Morrison has collected many stories of the tragedies that can occur from underage drinking, some of which he shared at the meeting.

Principal Alan Goodwin said he believes these stories serve as a lesson to himself and others in the Whitman community.

​“These are the kind of stories that, when I hear them, keep me constantly vigilant,” he said.