The legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21 years. However, most students start college at age 18 or 19 – and college parties and sports events are widely known for having plenty of alcohol to go around. As a result, North Carolina sees many cases of underage DUI or DWI every year.
Zero tolerance for underaged drinkers and drivers
North Carolina has a zero tolerance policy for juvenile drunk driving cases. The usual 0.08% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) does not apply to anyone under the legal drinking age.
If your child is under 21 years old and caught driving drunk, it does not matter how drunk or intoxicated they are. What matters is the fact that they had no alcohol at all – any alcohol level above zero may lead to an arrest. The law considers them legally intoxicated even if they only have a 0.02% BAC level.
How a 0.02 BAC affects people
Even a low blood alcohol content of 0.02% can make a person experience slightly impaired judgment. They may feel relaxed, less alert or have an altered mood. A 0.02% BAC may not necessarily make your underage college child feel tipsy or show clear signs of drunkenness. However, it is still enough to warrant a juvenile DUI charge.
Take note that no BAC level directly translates to an exact number of alcoholic drinks. The BAC depends not only on how much alcohol you drink but also on your metabolism, age, weight and more.
Alcohol-related charges aside from DWI
North Carolina’s zero tolerance policy for underage drinking does not only apply to DWI cases. Courts can also charge underage college students if they buy or try to buy alcohol. They may also face charges and penalties for possessing beer or wine, even if they did not buy it themselves.
Penalties for underage DUI
Underaged drinkers in North Carolina immediately get their license revoked for a month if arrested. They may also face a misdemeanor charge for underage DUI, pay up to $1,000 as a fine and serve a month of community service if convicted.
Drunk driving charges in your child’s college years may hurt them in the future. Even if they do not face expulsion, they may face other consequences. Taking the charges seriously and consulting a legal professional may increase a juvenile college student’s chances of negotiating a positive outcome.