Remorse Reassigned

If we had the chance to reinvent the human condition, we might consider reassigning remorse so that it would precede rather than follow thoughtless acts of tragic stupidity.

That apparently was the intent of the Newtown High School Chapter of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), which staged a mock two-car crash at the high school Tuesday morning involving emergency responders from Newtown’s volunteer fire companies, ambulance corps, police and highway departments, a helicopter, and even an undertaker. The “accident” was caused by drunk driving, and two of the actor/victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while four others were hauled off to the emergency room. For most of the high school students who watched the incredibly realistic demonstration, the event had the desired sobering effect.

These mock crashes take place at the high school every four years, so that all Newtown students get to see tragic consequences of poor decisions unfold before their eyes. We only wish there were a similar demonstration for adults played out in a mock courtroom by judges, prosecutors, and jurors in a social host liability case.

In Connecticut, social hosts, including the parents of teenagers, may be held liable for injuries caused by their intoxicated guests. The negligence of the host is deemed by the courts to be especially egregious when the guests are underage. The application of the law grows out of a 1988 Connecticut Supreme Court decision in the case Ely vs Murphy that specifically ruled that hosts (parents or any other adult) could be held legally responsible for the injuries caused by minors to whom they had served alcohol at a private graduation party. Connecticut courts have also found that the liability also applies to any adult who purchases alcohol for use by a minor.

We think it would be useful for those few remaining parents who believe in so-called lock-in parties to witness such a liability trial, complete with testimony of victims and/or their survivors. Perhaps they would think twice about trusting the full value of their assets and personal property to the promises of inebriated adolescents to stay put on a night when there are many other parties in many other places — a thoughtless act of tragic stupidity if there ever was one.

Connecticut has a full battery of statutes that impose civil and criminal penalties on underage drinkers and their adult accomplices. State courts have long recognized that alcohol abuse by adolescents is not solely a kid problem. A good dose of remorse in advance might be the perfect prescription for those few parents who still think they can look the other way when it comes to the safety and welfare of kids in their care.