Concert Safety

Concert Tips

Read 10 important facts that parents should know about empowering their teens to make safe decisions when going to concerts.

“Keeping Youth Safe at Concerts” Video Wins First Place

HC DrugFree is happy to announce that HC DrugFree’s TAC member Rachel Lin’s film won the HC DrugFree category, “Keeping Youth Safe at Concerts”. Joan Webb Scornaienchi presented Rachel Lin, a junior at Howard High School, with the 1st place trophy at the 2015 HoCo FilmFest. Rachel’s film about concert safety, The Kids Aren’t Alright, can be viewed below.

Why Should Parents Care if Their Teens Purchase Fake IDs?

Detective Mark Baxter, Alcoholic Beverage Inspector with the Howard County Police Department says that parents should be greatly concerned with their children acquiring and/or using fake IDs – for any purpose… it is illegal! Not only is using a fake ID a misdemeanor and the violator subject to 6 months imprisonment and/or a $500 fine, simply possessing a fake ID also carries a criminal charge with an identical penalty. These charges will become part of the child’s permanent record and can be harmful when applying for future military or other government service jobs, as well as positions of trust in private industry.

In addition to a possible criminal record, a violator could also be sanctioned by the Motor Vehicle Administration in the form of a suspended/cancelled driver’s license for a minimum of 6 months. These consequences would also apply to a person attempting to use the genuine license of someone else.

Possibly the most damaging issue, which is often overlooked, is the likelihood of identity theft. When a child furnishes his/her personal identifying information to a stranger, it is uncertain where this information could appear in the future. In fact, it has been reported that many customers of a now defunct fake ID website had their personal identifying information sold to identity thieves overseas. The ironic part is that these identity thieves had it easy…the personal identifying information was voluntarily provided to them by the customers – to include their addresses, dates of birth, and photos! Not only is this a potential nightmare if it occurs, but this nightmare can continue throughout the child’s adult life.

As a parent, you should be vigilant as to what your child is doing when he/she is not in the house. Pay attention for any obvious signs of deception or unwillingness to be open with you. Take the opportunity to talk to your children about the consequences mentioned above. Keep an eye on their possessions and be on the lookout for any IDs they may have that are from another state or that belong to someone else. Many times when a fake ID is purchased, more than one copy of the ID is provided. Maintain an open dialogue with your children about all of the ramifications of using fake IDs.

Additional Resources & Articles

Concert Drugs:

High and Dry at Rave Concerts

A 2003 law intended to “fix” the problem of drug use at “raves” (concerts) did the opposite, making raves substantially more dangerous for young adults experimenting with drugs. Click here to read how a leading advocate for change has started a campaign to change the Rave Act to allow for common sense public safety measures at concerts.

Drugs, Alcohol, and Other Risks At Concerts

As consumption of drugs and alcohol at electronic dance music (EDM) festivals rises, overdoses, arrests, alcohol poisoning cases, acts of violence, and other issues are becoming more and more prevalent at concerts. Similarly, country music’s more recent focus on drinking and the common practice of tailgating before country music concerts has resulted in these same issues. To learn more, read the articles below.