Most people think it's illegal for those under 21 to drink alcohol in Virginia. But there actually are loopholes in the existing law that allows minors to drink.
"If you're 25 years old you can buy alcohol, stick it in the fridge and they can drink all they want," said Andrew Torget, president of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Central Virginia Chapter. "Another quirk in the system is that someone over 21 can provide alcohol to someone that is 18, 19 or 20 because technically they aren't a minor."
Delegate Rob Bell has a bill on the house floor which seeks to close these loopholes by making it illegal for an underage person to consume or attempt to consume alcohol.
Torget, who was hit head-on by a drunk driver going seventy miles per hour five years ago, said closing these loopholes is vital.
"For me this is so important because I saw how drunk driving tore apart my life and my family's lives and it is one-hundred percent preventable."
Delegate David Albo has a similar bill which increases the penalty for anyone who purchases, provides, or assists in the provision of alcohol to an underage person. This bill has yet to be passed in committee.
