Drugs may be added to Suffolk County social host law

Suffolk County legislators may add controlled substances, including opioids, to the social host law that currently applies to the consumption of alcohol by minors.

The addition has been proposed in Nassau County and Suffolk lawmakers are expected to draft a similar bill.

The social host law currently makes it illegal for anyone over 18 who owns or rents a home to “knowingly allow the consumption of alcohol or alcoholic beverages by any minor” on the premises. Suffolk County strengthened its original social host law in 2016 by raising its penalty category from a violation to a misdemeanor.

Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) said he is willing to consider the addition of controlled substances to the social host law.

“Anything you can do to make people more responsible or at least think about the consequences would be a good thing,” he said.

Felicia Scocozza, executive director of the Riverhead Community Awareness Program, said including controlled substances would give the current law more teeth and give law enforcement yet another tool to prevent harm and, potentially, loss of life among young people.

She noted that while there has been increased focus on opioids, alcohol use far exceeds that of controlled substances in terms of abuse by teens in most of Suffolk County. Within the last year, she said, she’s also noticed media coverage of social host law arrests.

“The No. 1 place where teens are drinking right now is either at home or at a house party or someone else’s home,” Ms. Scocozza said. “We asked that question about alcohol, but we don’t necessarily ask that question about the other drugs, which we might want to include in our next survey. But we ask that question because underage drinking is still the biggest substance abuse problem.”