Program Monitor Under 21
Project Monitor Under 21
Anonymous Tip Line
Dial 2-1-1
Dedicated to Keeping Kids Safe!
Project Monitor Under 21 is a networking tool available to parents, teachers, police, students – ALL community members.
By calling 2-1-1 and sharing any information you have about gatherings where youth have access to alcohol, Project Monitor will prevent a potentially harmful situation from happening before it occurs.
Don’t wait until teenagers make mistakes and get in trouble – help shape the environment and stop bad situations BEFORE they begin.
Your call to 2-1-1 may prevent a call to 9-1-1.
To view our flyer click here.
Project Monitor uses an anonymous voicemail line dedicated to preventing underage alcohol or drug parties. CADY encourages community members and parents to call when word of an upcoming party surfaces. Police will then contact party hosts to ensure that homeowners were aware of the party and that adequate supervision is available to prevent the illegal use of alcohol or other drugs.
Calls to Project Monitor Under 21 go to the 24 hour staffed NH 2-1-1 hotline. All calls are ANONYMOUS. Trained operators relay information to the police department in the appropriate community. Police will investigate, and if possible contact party hosts to ensure that homeowners were aware of the party and that adequate supervision is available to prevent the illegal use of alcohol or other drugs.
Anonymous calls are accepted.
Don't wait until teenagers make mistakes and get in trouble... help shape the environment and stop bad situations before they begin.
To read an article written by the Record Entreprise on January 28th, 2010 titled "Project Monitor Goes Statewide – Keeping kids safe is always a good call” click here.
To view a clip from Plymouth Today click here to view online or click play below:
Project Monitor Goes Statewide – “Keeping kids safe is always a good call”
Reprinted from The Record Enterprise January 28, 2010
PLYMOUTH – There’s no stopping a good idea. What started locally here in Plymouth as a project of Communities for Alcohol and Drug-free Youth (CADY), has expanded statewide into a prevention tool for parents, teens and other concerned members of the public.
Anywhere in New Hampshire, concerned citizens can call 2-1-1 and share information about where alcohol is likely to be served illegally to minors. The new and expanded “Project Monitor Under 21” anonymous tip line will be answered 24 hours a day by a trained professional who can alert local authorities to take appropriate action to prevent a potentially harmful situation from happening. Local police can follow up with potential party hosts to educate them about the fact that underage drinking parties can be very risky and are against the law. “A call to 2-1-1 can prevent a call to 9-1-1”, reads the Project Monitor brochure.
It’s illegal because it is dangerous,” explains CADY’s Claire Moorhead. “But it’s a tough world out there, especially for kids who are afraid to be labeled a snitch. That is why it is so important for people to understand that the tip line is anonymous. There are a lot of good kids out there who want to help prevent their friends from making bad mistakes, but they are just not sure what to do. This gives us the opportunity to cut things off before they turn into a serious problem.
By now, most Plymouth area residents are familiar with the award winning Project Monitor; which first started as the brainchild of CADY’s Lisa Mure and former Plymouth Police Chief Tony Raymond in 2004 and has been replicated in more than 30 other New Hampshire towns in recent years. Project Monitor received the National “Service to Science Award” in 2007.
The anonymous tip line to report underage drinking parties to authorities before they happen, encourages parents, peers and others to come forward with information that can prevent potentially devastating consequences when young people gather unsupervised, and alcohol is involved. Project Monitor has adopted the motto “Keeping kids safe is always a good call”.
Sometimes people get wind of an upcoming event that is planned to take place at a home where parents are away, or unaware that young people will be consuming alcohol or taking drugs. But it is always difficult to know exactly what to do or who to talk to about concerns, especially if they relate to friends, peers or family members. “Unfortunately, people have died because people have been afraid to say something,” said CADY Executive Director Deb Naro. “Project Monitor allows us to be proactive and head problems off before they become a serious issue. It is about keeping kids out of trouble”. She says that Project Monitor has been credited for stopping a number of illegal underage drinking parties as well as potentially preventing one suicide. She is excited that the project has earned the approval of the State Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services as well as the Governor and Council so that it could branch out statewide through the 2-1-1 system. She says it can only boost the effectiveness of prevention efforts like CADY’s, to decrease the amount of binge drinking in young people throughout New Hampshire. “Project Monitor Under 21” went live via 2-1-1 in December.
2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers to many different kinds of information and services that are available in New Hampshire. Callers can find hellp for a wide range of issues. The database on 1,800 health and human service providers at locations throughout the state can also be searched on line at www.211nh.org.
New Hampshire's Party Host Liability Law
Most underage drinkers get their alcohol from adults. In 2004 the NH legislature passed a law (RSA 644:18) to hold "hosts" of parties responsible for the actions of underage participants. This law can be applied to any adult.
Under this Law
Host means a person who:
- is at least 17 years old;
- owns, rents, or has control of the site;
- knows about the party; and
- knows that persons under the age of 21 have a plan to drink alcohol or use drugs;
Party means:
- five or more people under the age of 21 (not related to the host) are present; and
- at least one person under the age of 21 has an alcoholic drink or an illegal drug.
To Stay Safe Under This Law
People whose properties may be the site of underage drinking or drug parties should:
- tell local law enforcement officials as soon as possible;
- take action to prevent the party; and/or
- try to stop the party, if it has already started.
What can happen to “hosts”?
Under this law, a person who hosts a party where minors drink alcohol or use drugs may be charged with a misdemeanor, fined up to $2,000 and spend a year in jail.
Exceptions:
The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
- the use of alcoholic beverages at legally protected religious observances or activities, or
- those persons using a controlled drug under a physician’s care where the use of the drug is consistent with the directions of a physician.
Law enforcement in NH takes underage drinking seriously
Other Applicable Legislation (find it all at: www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/nhtoc.htm)
- Section 179:5 Prohibited Sales to those under 21
- Section 179:5-a Sale of Kegs of Malt Beverages Require Identification of Buyer
- Section 179:10 Unlawful Possession and Intoxication by those under 21
You can be part of the solution
Call the NH Liquor Commission’s Bureau of Enforcement at 1-888-8-Over-21 (888-868-3721) to anonymously report underage alcohol violations such as sales to minors or upcoming parties. Partnering with law enforcement is a key strategy to reduce underage drinking in our communities.
Reducing Underage Alcohol Problems: Party Host Liability
www.new-futures.org
Download: NH Party Host Liability Law
