Essentially, what the law is saying is that it is now illegal for any person under the age of 21 to operate a motor vehicle after consuming any drop of alcohol, or any drugs that the person is not prescribed to.
In other words, the law specifically points out that if you are under the age of majority (21) it is illegal for you to do any of the following:
(1) Drive and consume alcohol simultaneously, which is actually illegal for anyone, 21 or not.
(2) Drive while there is any amount of alcohol in your system whatsoever, even if you consumed the alcohol prior to operating the vehicle and hours have passed. A BAC level of .02 for minors is no longer an option.
(3) Drive while there are any drugs that you have previously consumed in your system that you do not have a prescription for. If the drugs were lawfully obtained through a prescription with your name on the bottle, and they were taken as prescribed, then you will not be penalized for having the substance in your system.
If you, or someone you know has been penalized by the “Zero Tolerance Law,” and received a DWI in North Carolina, contact the law offices of Robert J. Reeves, P.C. toll-free at 877-374-5999 for a free consultation. Or visit our homepage at www.rjrlaw.com for more information.