Drinking at School

A school, whether that’s an elementary school or a college, has certain expectations and standard of conduct. One that needs mentioning is with regards to alcohol on the premises. In California, bringing or consuming alcohol on school grounds is a crime and, therefore, punishable by law. According to California Business and Professions Code 25608 BPC, the grounds of a school are off-limits to alcohol.

The Law for Drinking at School

This law is applied to not only students and staff, but also anyone else that enters the premises of the school. A parent or a visitor can be charged with this crime as well as a student. In order for the prosecution to prove the guilt of the defendant, the prosecutor must show that the defendant possessed, gave, delivered, sold, or consumed alcohol while located on school grounds. Even walking inside of a school with a bottle of alcohol, without any intention to drink the alcoholic beverage, can land a person in serious trouble.

However, alcohol is not completely banned without any exceptions. There are instances in which alcohol can be present on school grounds, and for it to not be an illegal act. For example, an educational or culinary program may require an alcoholic beverage on school grounds. Outside of limited exceptions, a person found violating the code can face a misdemeanor charge. If found guilty, the defendant faces up to six months in county jail. However, punishment can increase from here. Other charges could be added if the defendant is under the legal drinking limit (21 years old) or if the person has imbibed the alcohol and is now publicly intoxicated. As such, the charge described in this article is serious, and should not be taken lightly.