1. Social Host Ordinances (SHO)
Meghan Sullivan Goldenberger, MPA, CHES, CPP
EXECUTIVE Director, TOGETHER!
(360) ext. 104 | (360)

2. What is a Social Host Ordinance?
A law that makes it illegal to provide an environment where underage drinking/marijuana use takes place, regardless of who provides the alcohol/marijuana.
Who is a Social Host?
Has right to control property
In immediate control of property
Organizes, supervises, conducts, or controls access
The social host ordinance does not make it against the law to furnish alcohol (marijuana) to individuals under the age of 21. THAT’S ALREADY ILLEGAL. The ordinance makes it illegal to provide an environment where underage drinking (marijuana use) takes place, regardless of who provides the alcohol/marijuana.
Source:
"Responsible person" includes:
1. The person(s) who owns, rents, leases, or otherwise has right to control property at which an underage gathering takes place;
2. The person(s) in immediate control of property at which an underage gathering takes place; or
3. The person(s) who organizes, supervises, sponsors, conducts, allows, controls, or controls access to the underage gathering.
A social host does not have to be over 21 years of age.

3. What Does a SHO Do?
Seeks to restrict youth access to alcohol/marijuana
Focuses on the setting where drinking/marijuana use occurs regardless of who provides it
Serves as an additional tool for law enforcement
Set/reinforces a healthy community norm
*Not intended to seek out and punish responsible adults
1. Aims to create a community norm that underage drinking is not acceptable
3. These local ordinances provide law enforcement with additional tools that go beyond the Revised Code of Washington (RCW ), which prohibits providing (also known as furnishing) alcohol to minors (and the corresponding marijuana policy). When law enforcement arrives on the scene of an underage drinking party, it can be difficult to determine who furnished the alcohol. Social Host ordinances enable law enforcement to cite the individual who hosted the party or who owns or controls the property where parties occur. Under Social Host ordinances, these responsible individuals may include older peers, parents, landowners and tenants.
4. The intent is NOT to seek out and punish adults who are regularly monitoring their children/teens and who take reasonable precautions to prevent their children/teens from hosting underage parties.
Most responsible adults understand how important it is not to furnish alcohol or marijuana to minors or model irresponsible drinking (or marijuana use) behavior. Social Host ordinances address those who dismiss the health‐related warnings, insist on serving minors, host parties, and/or look the other way when others host on their property. (Social Host Handbook, 2011).

4. SHOs: Where in WA? Communities with a SHO Mercer Island, December 2011
Rainier, May 2012
Orting, October 2012
Harrah, July 2013
Othello, July 2014
Thurston County, February 2017 (incl. marijuana)
Communities exploring a SHO in Thurston County: Rainier exploring adding marijuana to their existing policy.
Communities outside Thurston County considering:
Ellensburg (Kittitas County)
Forks (Clallam County)
King County
Omak (Okanogan County)
Othello (Adams County)
Port Angeles (Clallam County)
Quincy (Grant County)
Toppenish (Yakima County)
Waterville (Douglas County)

5. History of Thurston SHOs
Rainier passed a SHO in 2012
Followed in the footsteps of Mercer Island (2011) to become the second jurisdiction in the state of Washington to pass a SHO
Rainier Community Cares coalition is currently working to update Rainier’s to include marijuana
Thurston County passed a SHO in 2017
First in the state to include both marijuana and alcohol (some jurisdictions elsewhere in the country have SHO policies which include marijuana)

6. Why are SHOs important? Current youth use Brain development
Factors affecting youth use
Access
Perceived risk/harm
Perceived acceptability (peer, parental)
Brain development
Traffic safety
Addiction, treatment
Cost to society

7. Do SHOs Work?
Among the most effective and recommended ways to reduce underage and risky drinking
Supported by DSHS Division of Behavioral and Health Recovery and the WA State Liquor and Cannabis Board
Recommended by task forces across the nation
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
Communities that implement social host ordinances often describe a positive impact
30 states and countless cities, counties and municipalities have adopted SHOs
1. Research indicates that social host laws are among the most effective and recommended ways to reduce underage and risky drinking thereby saving taxpayers money from repeated disturbance calls to police, reduced emergency medical responses to underage drinking parties, reduced injuries and violence, and increased peace within our neighborhoods and protection to private property
In the first national study of the impact of social host liability, researchers found that such liability lowered the self-reported probability of heavy episodic drinking as well as drinking and driving among all drinkers.
2. Supported by DSHS Division of Behavioral and Health Recovery and the WA State Liquor and Cannabis Board
3. Recommended by task forces across the nation - National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
4. Communities that implement social host ordinances often describe a positive impact. For example, the San Diego Police Department reported a reduction in home party calls around San Diego State University when their social host ordinance went into effect (An Issue Briefing: The Petaluma Social Host Ordinance).
As of 2015, 30 states had social host liability laws in place. 10 states’ laws focus specifically on underage parties, whereas 20 states have broader policies.

8. SHO Adoption: Who/How
Rainier – TOGTHER! Staff and Rainier Community Cares coalition (a DFC and CPWI coalition) volunteers in partnership with Target Zero Thurston County, local law enforcement, Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office & elected officials
Thurston County – TOGETHER! staff, Drug Action Team coalition, Target Zero Thurston County, Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Thurston County Commissioner Bud Blake
Photo of Brittany & Tim?

9. Education & Enforcement
EDUCATION is an essential component of the success of any policy change.
ENFORCEMENT –
Upon identification of an underage gathering, law enforcement may issue a notice of civil infraction to any or all known responsible persons with a penalty of $250 for each cited responsible person.
Discretion of the Law Enforcement Officer
1. Research indicates that social host laws are among the most effective and recommended ways to reduce underage and risky drinking thereby saving taxpayers money from repeated disturbance calls to police, reduced emergency medical responses to underage drinking parties, reduced injuries and violence, and increased peace within our neighborhoods and protection to private property
In the first national study of the impact of social host liability, researchers found that such liability lowered the self-reported probability of heavy episodic drinking as well as drinking and driving among all drinkers.
2. Supported by DSHS Division of Behavioral and Health Recovery and the WA State Liquor and Cannabis Board
3. Recommended by task forces across the nation - National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
4. Communities that implement social host ordinances often describe a positive impact. For example, the San Diego Police Department reported a reduction in home party calls around San Diego State University when their social host ordinance went into effect (An Issue Briefing: The Petaluma Social Host Ordinance).
As of 2015, 30 states had social host liability laws in place. 10 states’ laws focus specifically on underage parties, whereas 20 states have broader policies.

10. Media Coverage (2017)
coverage in NVN, Olympian

11. Questions?

12. Sources/Resources Center for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute of Health
Stout, EM., Sloan, FA., Liang, L., Davies, HH. Reducing harmful alcohol-related behaviors: effective regulatory methods. Journals of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 61 (3), 2000.
Thomas, S., Paschal, MJ,. Grube, JW,. Cannon, C. Treffers, R. Underage alcohol policies across 50 California Cities: an assessment of best practices. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 7, 2012
Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board
se/Boards/AdministrativeBoard/~/media/health/substance Abuse/BoardSA/2012%20handouts/Social_Host_Ordinance _Guide.ashx
Print copies of guide, print handouts