Watch out, kids.
Starting Saturday, a juvenile's driver's license can be suspended for six months or a year if he's caught drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs - regardless of whether he's anywhere near a car when arrested.The tough new drug law is one of 45 Utahns will have to obey starting July 1, the state's new fiscal year.
Tops on the list are the drug/ driver's license law and a statute aimed at keeping cigarettes out of youngsters' hands.
Most of the bills passed by the 1989 Legislature in January and February - 212 in all - became law April 24, 60 days after the general session adjourned. Many of the latest batch of new laws are associated with state finances and so take effect at the start of the fiscal year.
Rep. Kim Burningham, R-Bountiful, a retired teacher, sponsored the drug/driver's license law, saying teenagers value the freedom a driver's license brings so much they'll be careful not to jeopardize the privilege - and drug use by teenagers may go down. Almost every legislator voted for the bill.
The law says the driver's license of anyone under 18 can be suspended - or if the youngster is under 16 and doesn't yet have a license, it will be suspended when he reaches 16 - for drug or alcohol violations.
For the first offense the license is suspended for six months or until the offender is 17 years old, whichever is longer. For the second offense the license is suspended for a year or until the offender is 18 years old - again, whichever is longer.
The Juvenile Court is directed to impose the sentence for any alcohol or drug offense. It is illegal in Utah for anyone under the age of 21 to drink alcohol. Juveniles and adults are barred from using illegal drugs.
The law is unusual because a juvenile's driver's license can be suspended for any alcohol or drug offense that occurs, regardless whether the teenager is driving or near a vehicle when the offense occurs.
If a juvenile has his license suspended for alcohol or drug offenses and then drives without a license and is caught, the suspension is automatically doubled.
A new cigarette vending machine law, aimed and keeping kids from using the machines, also takes effect Saturday. The statute outlaws cigarette vending machines anywhere except in private clubs or private businesses where the general public wouldn't normally have access.
The law also prohibits smoking, by anyone, in public schools during school hours and in child day-care centers licensed by the state. The aim here is to bar adults from smoking in the presence of children, either providing a poor role model or possible health risks from second-hand smoke.
Other new laws of interest:
-The state can now charge a check-cashing fee to people from whom it's collecting back child support payments.
-State corrections officials must now test all inmates for AIDS and the HIV virus. If infected, inmates must be housed separately from AIDS-free inmates and be counseled about the disease.
-Schools can use profits from bookstores and vending machines for any purpose. The profits are no longer required to buy textbooks and supplies.
-Students who must take remedial courses must attain certain competency levels in those subjects before they can advance.
-Farm irrigation equipment and supplies are now exempt from state sales tax.