Tiffany Chavez

English 219
MWA #3
December 2015

Minors In Possession of Drugs and Alcohol

When you think of local issues in New Mexico what comes to
mind? I dont think that the community knows how bad it is for minors
to be under any kind of influence. There is always some type of law,
and these our not just here so that kids dont get to have any fun. The
laws are made for a reason, the safety of everyone. This information is
not tell someone which is right but more as an informational discussion
to let the public know what is going on.
The legal drinking age for New Mexico is 21. That is not just in
New Mexico but everywhere else. Also all drugs are illegal. The law for
minors using alcohol states, that a minor may not purchase, accept,
or allow alcohol to be served with very few exceptions. Although it is
illegal for minors to buy alcohol, it is illegal for someone who is over
the legal age to sell, serve, or even deliver alcohol to a minor. The
exception for a minor to receive alcohol is if a parent or guardian
allows the minor to consume the alcohol on the parent or guardians
private residence. Another exception is if the minor is participating in
any type of religious ceremony. An example of a religious ceremony
where alcohol is present is in a catholic mass during communion.
Which is also known as the body (bread) and blood (wine) of Christ. It
symbolizes that they are accepting god to come into their lives. Drugs
are also illegal, but the most common drug that is used by minors is
marijuana. Marijuana is not necessarily a bad drug because it is used
medically for sick people. The main concern for the laws is to keep
everyone safe.
The consequences for using drugs varies, in this case the main
one I am going to focus on is marijuana. If you are caught with different
amounts the offense will vary. Below is just a sample of the different
offenses that New Mexico alone sees in our state.
Offense

Penalty

Incarceration

Misdemeanor

15 days

Max. Fine

Possession
1 oz or less (first offense)

$ 100

1 oz or less (second offense)

Misdemeanor

1 year

$ 1,000

More than 1 - less than 8 oz

Misdemeanor

1 year

$ 1,000

8 oz or more

Felony

1.5 years

$ 5,000

100 lbs or less (first offense)

Felony

1.5 years

$ 5,000

Less than 100 lbs or less (second offense)

Felony

3 years

$ 5,000

100 lbs or more (first offense)

Felony

3 years

$ 5,000

100 lbs or more (second offense)

Felony

9 years

$ 10,000

To a minor (first offense)

Felony

3 years

$ 5,000

To a minor (second offense)

Felony

9 years

$ 10,000

Within a drug-free school zone

Felony

18 years

$ 15,000

Distribution

Includes possession with the intent to distribute

If no payment, exchange of small amount of marijuana is treated as possession only.

If a minor is caught with alcohol in New Mexico it is considered a

misdemeanor.
First Offense

$1000

Second Offense

$1000

Third Offense

$1000

30 Hours Community
Service
40 Hours Community
Service. 90 days
License Suspension
60 Hours Community
Service. 2 year
License Suspension or
Until 21. (Which ever
is greater)

Do not forget that it will cost more with lawyer and court fees and
costs. When a minor is out and about with friend they should all think
to themselves, is it really worth it to get caught? Above is stating the
issue New Mexico is facing with both minors using drugs and alcohol in
our state. Below I am going to be giving you the current situation and
reasons why minors should stay away from alcohol and drugs.
Alcohol is a depressant, which slows down your central nervous
system. The central nervous controls you by sight, motor vehicle skills,
hearing, and much more. There are a few reasons why teens drink, and
the main reasons are curiosity, to fit in, and to act much older than
they are. Alcohol is very harming to the body.

If the current situation does not get any better our future is going to be
much worse. We need to control the situation now. A way we can
control the situation is to be much stricter on adults who are receiving
their fourth or fifth DWI. If you have more than one DWI there is a
problem. Being in trouble with the law because you were drunk or high
and operating a motor vehicle is not only harmful to your self but the
community as a whole. When you think of life do you think it is
precious, because it is the most valuable thing everyone has that we
need to cherish.
There is some hope if we do not give up on these teens and even
adults by reminding them how harmful drugs and alcohol can be on
their bodies, and also the amount of money they are wasting on these
bad habits. My first recommendation to fixing this local problem in New
Mexico is to help the people who are dealing with the DWI or Drug
process. By doing this I will need to connect with the court and
probation officers that are dealing with these defendants and find a
way to fund a counseling group to see if there is a deeper problem like
mental health issues. My second recommendation is to increase the
punishment and fines for multiple
Convictions. Todays world you hear about so many cases being
dropped which is basically giving these people a free pass. These
defendants are teens who have not learned their lesson and are
continuing to put our communities lives in danger. Next I think schools
should include all of these risks into a health class because it is
important to get this across the board and prepare our kids about risks
that are out there. Lastly my fourth recommendation is jail time for
people who still continue to break the law and put others lives in
danger.
Teens and minors lives are just important as everyone else. These
people are our future and without them our community will fail. We
need to be focusing on teaching these minors about how to be
responsible and let them have fun! Minors should not be worried about
being convicted on a DWI or Drug abuse charge. We can all make a
difference by spreading the word and talking to one another all it takes
is talking and asking questions.