While some college students get alcohol illegally with a fake ID or a generous upperclassman, others obtain their drinks legally with their parents.
A loophole in the underage-drinking law allows those not yet 21 to drink at a bar with their parents, though not all Uptown Athens establishments choose to serve minors.
The code states that no person can sell, buy or furnish alcohol to an underage person unless supervised by a parent, a spouse who is not underage, or a legal guardian.
Though locales such as Broney’s Alumni Grill, 7 W. Carpenter St., and Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, 24 W. Union St., allow underagers to drink with a parental supervisor, Pigskin Sports Bar and Grille, 38 N. Court St., is one that never does.
“We don’t allow this because there are just too many things that could potentially go wrong,” manager Sarah Knebel said. “Like if the parent decides to go home and the student stays, that’s not allowed. Not allowing it prevents any possible liabilities.”
Pigskin has specific hours that individuals younger than 21 can be in the bar. Anyone is allowed inside the restaurant during regular serving hours. But after 9 p.m., no one underage is allowed past the bouncer.
“We usually don’t have any problems because we don’t allow them to happen,” she said. “Sometimes people get angry and argue during (parents) weekends, but we just tell them that’s our policy.”
Several other Athens bars follow the rules of the law but at the bartender’s discretion, said Pete Holey, manager at Jackie O’s.
“If the bartender doesn’t feel comfortable with who they’re serving, they can simply not serve them,” he said. “For me though, once I check both IDs and make sure the last names match and all, I usually OK it. My intention is not really to get students drunk, but I’ll let them have a drink with their parents if they ask for it.”
To prevent abuse of the system, authorities check the IDs of both the parent and the student to ensure they match, said Julie Hinds, spokeswoman for the Ohio Investigative Unit, which polices bars to prevent underage consumption.
“It’s all up to the bartender really,” she said. “Some people ask, well what about if a parent is with a 10-year-old, but the thing is, a bartender probably won’t serve a 10-year-old. It’s at the bar’s discretion if they want to partake.”
Uptown bars such as Broney’s and The Union, 18 W. Union St., only allow underage drinking if the person is at least 18 years old.
Despite the law, Ohio University doesn’t permit alcoholic beverages in residence halls at any time unless the resident is 21.
Alcohol policies in residence halls are explained to parents during orientation, said Jennifer Hall-Jones, assistant dean of students.
“We tell (parents) that how you raise your children is totally up to you in your home,” she said. “But when you come to our home, we ask that you obey our rules.”
At the university, penalties for violating Ohio liquor laws and university policy might result in disciplinary probation or suspension of the student.
“In some sense, the Code of Conduct has a higher standard than the law does, so we define the residence-hall alcohol policies as possession or consumption,” Jones said. “It doesn’t happen very often, but it does occasionally.”
az346610@ohiou.edu
