As a college student, you may or may not be of drinking age, but you are likely to socialize and consume alcohol in groups of people that are both over and under the legal age of 21. Although it is illegal to drink under the age of 21 pretty much regardless of the circumstances, (one exception is if you are calling for medical assistance on behalf another underage drinker) you are unlikely to receive a harsher penalty than a citation and community service.
However, if you are found to be an underage drinker that is operating a vehicle while you have some alcohol in your system, the consequences can be devastating. It means that you are far more likely to get into a serious accident, causing harm to yourself and to others. In addition, the criminal penalties are also much more severe.
What are the consequences of an underage DUI?
When you are under the age of 21, it is illegal for you to have any alcohol whatsoever in your system. When you are over the age of 21, however, it is completely legal to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or lower. If you are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol on a college campus, you might face an expulsion from school and a criminal action.
If you get an underage DUI conviction, you should treat it extremely seriously no matter whether it took place on campus or off campus. Make sure that you take action immediately to deal with the matter so that the consequences can be minimized.
Source: FindLaw, “College Campus DUI Laws,” accessed Jan. 26, 2018