Adults hosting underage drinking parties in Winnebago County may face tickets and fines even if they do not supply the alcohol to minors, due to a new ordinance proposed by county officials.

The ordinance-nationally deemed a Social Host Ordinance in other states across the country-would allow local law enforcement to issue tickets to adults providing a safe haven for those under the age of 21 to consume alcohol, Sue Ertmer, Winnebago County Clerk, said.

The ordinance would make it easier for police officers to write tickets for adults hosting drinking parties for minors, said Emily Dieringer of the Winnebago county coalition re:TH!NK.

The new ordinance will be enforced alongside an existing state underage drinking statute and would allow police officers to write tickets on the spot, rather than through a drawn-out process at the state level, Dieringer said.

“This makes the consequences of hosting a party more recognizable and more immediate,” Dieringer said.

Re:TH!NK, which advocates for substance abuse prevention, has been encouraging the ordinance for some time, Dieringer said.

The only other ordinance of its kind in the state of Wisconsin is in Manitowoc County, and Winnebago community members worked with Manitowoc officials while drafting the ordinance, Dieringer added.

Deputy Chief Brennan of Manitowoc County said it is too early to see results of the Social Host Ordinance in Manitowoc, but they believe it has the power to make a difference.

The ordinance in Manitowoc County fines adults who host underage drinking parties from $1,000 to $5,000. Exceptions to the law apply if it is a religious event or the alcohol consumption is solely between the underage drinker and their respective parent.

Counties across the country that have adopted the Social Host Ordinance have seen high success rates, said Nina Emerson professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin.

The ordinance typically does not eliminate underage drinking, but it does make it more difficult for large groups of underage drinkers to congregate, Emerson added.

The Winnebago ordinance is meant to increase awareness of the law and its consequences, Dieringer said.

Some anti-drunken driving interest groups applauded the ordinance as a way to protect minors.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving state policy specialist Frank Harris said local Social Host Ordinances show a commitment to public health laws and abiding by the legal drinking age.

The general consensus among adults is that it is okay to host parties with underage drinking, Dieringer said.

Although some parents might believe they are doing a service for their child in providing a safe space to drink, Harris said, they are actually advocating a public health threat.

“22 percent of teens binge drink in Wisconsin, yet only one in one hundred parents believe their kid binge drinks,” Harris said.

Parents are never helping when they host an underage drinking party and this ordinance will hopefully reiterate this point to parents in any community, Harris added.

According to Emerson, Wisconsin is also number one in the country for both adult and underage binge drinking.

More than 150 cities or counties and 24 states have adopted social host ordinances similar to the Winnebago ordinance, according to MADD.