Underage drinking fine doubles

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Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 1, the fines for people who provide alcohol to underage drinkers will more than double.

The current fines of $1,000 for a first offender will rise to as much as $2,500 and, for a subsequent offender, from $1,500 to as high as $5,000.

The new penalties, a result of legislation approved by this year's General Assembly, are aimed at cutting down on drunk driving by teenagers.

Almost two-thirds of Maryland's 12th-graders have reported drinking alcohol in the past year, while nearly half reported drinking in the past month, according to the state Department of Education's most recent survey from 2005.

The survey also found that 27 percent of 12th-graders licensed to drive in Maryland have driven at least once after consuming four drinks.

"This new law is the very definition of public safety legislation," said Kurt Erickson, president of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, the organization that provides free cab rides for would-be drunk drivers under a program called SoberRide. For information, visit WRAP's Web site at www.wrap.org.

- Jane McHugh