House Bill 1285 might sound unfamiliar to you, but it could potentially save you or a friend someday.

State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson  has proposed the Alcohol Poisoning Immunity bill, which would provide legal protection to underage drinkers who get alcohol poisoning or who call an ambulance for someone with alcohol poisoning. Neither person would be charged for consuming alcohol as a minor.

Jakobsson is proposing that this becomes a statewide law to ensure all underage drinkers are protected. 

The University has a similar, albeit unwritten, policy on campus. In Champaign, a student could still be charged for underage drinking if he or she calls 911 for someone who requires medical attention. Whether the student is charged, however, is up to the responding officer.

There shouldn’t be any hesitation in passing this bill.

This bill could potentially save the lives of underage drinkers. We aren’t in any way condoning underage drinking, but it’s something that will happen, and there’s no way to try to stop it.

With that being said, it’s no secret that there are underage drinkers who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, become incoherent and then drink some more. There are many cases of alcohol poisoning, especially on a college campus. So alcohol poisoning is not always reported because students don’t want to get charged for underage drinking. 

Because of the current law, an underage drinker might be too scared to call 911 if he or she sees a friend passed out from alcohol poisoning. The end result, however, could lead to death because the drinker with alcohol poisoning didn’t receive the proper medical attention. 

While college culture is heavily centered around drinking, a statewide program like this would be most beneficial to high schoolers.

Many students begin experimenting with alcohol when they are in high school.

Unlike college students, those who begin drinking at a young age haven’t had the change to witness the dangers of alcohol poisoning and may not know who to contact when they’re in a dangerous situation. In high school, it’s more than just fear of your parents that comes into play: It’s also fear of school administrators. 

This Alcohol Poisoning Immunity bill would eliminate the fear that these teenagers have about getting caught, which would also eliminate the hesitation a teenager would have before calling 911 for a friend who is suffering from the dangerous effects of alcohol.

Many fear that this bill would enable drinking, but we don’t think that’s true. No one would try to drink enough to get alcohol poisoning simply because they could, theoretically, avoid repercussions from authorities.  

This bill would do nothing to increase underage alcohol consumption, but it could save underage drinkers’ lives.

With haste, we hope to see the bill passed to relieve the fears of underage drinkers.