State cracks down on underage drinkers

Investigators from the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission stopped dozens of college students from obtaining alcohol last weekend in a statewide crackdown on underage drinking.

On Sept. 4, commission investigators found more than 56 minors possessing alcohol, 33 people who bought or attempted to buy alcohol for minors, and six people with fake identification in Brighton, according to a statement released by investigator Ted Mahony. Statewide numbers were not available yesterday because the investigation - dubbed Operation Safe Campus - is ongoing.

Investigators also confiscated 48 cases of beer and 22 bottles of other kinds of alcoholic beverages in Brighton, according to a statement from the commission.

The underage students were not arrested, but their parents and respective colleges were called, Mahony said. Most of those students will not face legal action, he said, because authorities believe schools and parents can better address the issue.

"We found that it's far more effective to have an immediate contact with the young person's parents, let them know they were drinking alcohol," Mahony said. "That allows the parents to speak about this issue with their kids."

People over 21 who bought or attempted to buy alcohol for minors will probably face criminal complaints, Mahony said.

The students confronted by investigators in Brighton came from schools including Newbury College, Lesley University, Boston University, Boston College, Suffolk University, Northeastern University, and Emerson College, Mahony said.

The enforcement program, activated at the beginning of each academic year since 2004, was staged Thursday at Blanchard's on the corner of Brighton Avenue and Harvard Street and at Reservoir Liquors in Cleveland Circle, Mahony said.

Investigators acted as store clerks at the two liquor stores. The stores assisted and were "very cooperative," Mahony said.

The drinking age in Massachusetts is 21, meaning many students will spend most of their college careers without being able to drink legally.

"By preventing alcohol from getting into the hands of underage individuals, we are preventing tragedy before it strikes," said Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, who oversees the commission.

Local college officials said students are aware of the possible consequences of underage drinking.

"It's a message that we tell students from the very first time they come on campus for orientation," Boston University spokesman Colin Riley said. "We've told them that there are consequences for their actions."

Violators have to meet with a judicial affairs officer and discipline is determined on a case-by-case basis, Riley said.

Some local students said they were glad to see the state working to stop underage drinking, which leads to thousands of deaths nationwide each year.

"It's nice to know that people are finally cracking down on this, because underage drinking is such a big issue," said Bridget Kelleher, a 20-year-old junior at Boston University. "I think underage drinking has a lot of harmful effects."