Tower of Terror Fall, Underage Drinking Confab Pump Up Schwarzenegger Bill Signing

By Matt Coker Thu., Aug. 19 2010 at 1:36 PM

Categories: Crime-iny, Dishney, Politics

Pin It

Two Anaheim events involving underage drinking are being used to amplify Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signing of legislation today that holds adults in California liable if youth they serve alcohol to are injured or killed.

The signing comes during the 12th Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Annual National Leadership Conference, the nation's largest gathering dedicated to youth drinking prevention continuing through Friday at the Anaheim Marriott.

Last night at Disney's California Adventure came the second event.

In fact, we brought it to you earlier this morning:

California Adventure's Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Becomes a Real Tower of Terror

"California becomes one of just a few states with a social host liability law that hold adults accountable for underage drinking," reads a statement from conference organizers. "Underscoring the significance, the signing comes one day after a 20-year-old who Anaheim police say had been drinking fell 25 feet from a Disney theme park ride, injuring himself."

Of course, it is not yet known how the 20-year-old man got the alcohol he is alleged to have consumed. Did his parents get him toasted? Did a 7-Eleven clerk fail to ask him for ID? Did he use his Club 33 membership to suck a few down inside the park?

The conference, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, coincides with the 24th annual meeting of the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association, which brings together law enforcement experts from throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Its goal is to encourage community-based approaches to reduce "underage drinking and the negative consequences that often result" by bringing together more than 2,000 alcohol enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, community members, and young people sharing "success stories on the best ways for communities to confront underage drinking."

The more than 100 workshop topics range from teen house parties and college drinking to athletes and alcohol and underage driving under the influence offenders.

Demonstrations include a mock party bust with teens pretending to be drinking.Young people are also being invited to join cops on ride-a-longs targeting teen drinkers and businesses failing to card booze buyers.

Underage drinking kills and injures more young people than all other illegal drugs combined, according to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse.

Go here for a complete list of the conference workshops and sessions.

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.