Adults in Peachtree City who allow underage drinking in settings for which they are responsible will now be breaking the law. The Peachtree City Council on Oct. 15 unanimously adopted the social hosting ordinance already in place in unincorporated Fayette County.
Peachtree City Police Sgt. Kay Crider in an Oct. 9 letter said the ordinance is structured to prohibit legal adults from hosting or allowing events at any residence or location where they know or reasonably should know that underage persons will consume alcohol.
Krider said the ordinance does not apply to legally-protected religious observances, underage persons legally possessing alcohol as part of their employment or to conduct that occurs solely between parents and their own children in their household.
Like other communities, those in Fayette County have experienced gatherings where underage drinking occurs.
The ordinance states that a person violating the ordinance is criminally responsible.
Councilwoman Kim Learnard and Councilman Terry Ernst prior to the vote voiced their opinion on the proposed ordinance.
“I see this as another tool in our arsenal to say no, this is not going to happen,” Learnard said in support of the social hosting ordinance.
Ernst agreed, saying the ordinance was a “long time coming, a long time overdue.”
The vote to adopt the ordinance was unanimous.
A social hosting ordinance has been promoted by Sheriff Barry Babb and was previously adopted by the Fayette County Commission.
The initiative that led to the ordinance has been promoted by AVPRide and Fayette Factor for the past several years.
