A second chance for underage drinkers

Yes, it's against the law for 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to drink alcohol. It's also a commonly made mistake for which a criminal conviction can haunt an otherwise law-abiding young person for years.

That's why we support House Study Bill 553, which would allow courts to expunge such a conviction from young adults' criminal records, provided they keep their nose clean for two years after the offense.

We don't condone lawbreaking, but we're also realistic about the widespread use of alcohol among young adults. That's perhaps especially true in college towns such as Iowa City, where young people can find plenty of peer pressure to imbibe.

We can't ask police to turn a blind eye to criminal activity - no matter how widespread - but it makes sense to give those young people a second chance at a clean slate.

The bill, which is being considered by the Iowa House Judiciary Committee, would let young people ask to remove from their record an alcohol-related conviction - such as public intoxication, possessing, purchasing, or attempting to purchase alcohol under legal age - after two years if they have no subsequent criminal offense.

Any criminal conviction other than for a simple misdemeanor during that two-year window would make the person ineligible to have their record wiped clean.

That Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine supports the proposal carries a lot of weight with us. His officers frequently must deal with the sticky problem of underage drinking.

Since 2004 (not including 2009), Iowa City police annually have cited from 879 to 1,697 young people ages 18 to 20 for possession of alcohol under the legal age.

Making such arrests wouldn't stop if state lawmakers pass the bill. Young adults still would be charged, convicted and punished for alcohol infractions.

What would change is the permanency of that criminal history, which can affect a young person's ability to secure employment or housing, and other areas of his or her life. If a young adult can show the lesson was learned, they deserve a second chance.

Recently, some experts also have questioned whether criminalizing alcohol use among underage adults is the best strategy for curbing its use, and abuse, by young people.

After all, they are considered adults in virtually every other respect. Criminalizing their use of alcohol hasn't appeared to diminish their thirst - binge drinking has been on the rise for years.

Criminal punishment isn't enough by itself to slow underage drinking - cultural changes, education and availability of alternative activities all play important roles.

Underage adults must pay the price if they break drinking law. But for many, a permanent criminal record is too high a price to pay.