What about Teen Drinking Parties?
March 12th, 2010
by Guest Blogger
[Today's guest blogger is Janet from the Federal Trade Commission.]
I was surprised, recently, when a good friend told me she was going to host a drinking party for our teens. Our kids were sixteen.
“I know they’re going to drink anyway,” she said, “so I’m just going to keep the car keys. They’ll be safe.”
I had to speak up, and fast! As gently as I could, I laid out the facts: “It’s not your decision to make. Letting other teens drink in your house undermines other parents, and in many states, it violates the law.” I added, “Drunk driving isn’t the only danger associated with teen drinking, and you can’t guarantee that the kids won’t drive after they leave your house. How about offering the kids non-alcoholic choices, instead of another place to drink?”
My friend was surprised at my insistence. I recommended that she check out the FTC’s website, DontServeTeens.gov, for more information.
“It’s a good resource for information about the rates and risks of teen drinking,” I said, “and it answers a lot of common questions about underage drinking.”
What about teen drinking parties?
I was surprised, recently, when a good friend told me she was going to host a drinking party for our teens. Our kids were sixteen.
“I know they’re going to drink anyway,” she said, “so I’m just going to keep the car keys. They’ll be safe.”
I had to speak up, and fast! As gently as I could, I laid out the facts: “It’s not your decision to make. Letting other teens drink in your house undermines other parents, and in many states, it violates the law.” I added, “Drunk driving isn’t the only danger associated with teen drinking, and you can’t guarantee that the kids won’t drive after they leave your house. How about offering the kids non-alcoholic choices, instead of another place to drink?”
My friend was surprised at my insistence. I recommended that she check out the FTC’s website, DontServeTeens.gov, for more information.
“It’s a good resource for information about the rates and risks of teen drinking,” I said, “and it answers a lot of common questions about underage drinking.”
Tags: drinking, parties, teens, underage drinking
This entry was posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 5:07 pm and is filed under For Kids. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
its bad habit they fase so many helth prablems in future
Yes, several years back a couple in my community hosted a “drinking party” for their daughter and her friends, and ended up being arrested for serving minors. It was quite the scandal.
As a young person, I remember the pressure to drink in high school. I was able to resist the temptations in high school but I knew plenty of other students who drank regularly.
In fact, at a different school in the district, the Principal banned students from bringing water bottles to school because students were bringing vodka and rum to school and drinking during passing periods and lunch.
Underage drinking is a problem and it is scary to think that parents can be part of the problem as enablers. I think we understand why parents would want to drink in their house rather than in a more troublesome environment but that doesn’t make it less unethical or wrong.
I commend the dontserveteens.gov, and think it is a step in the right direction to informing parents of the issues. Once they understand the problem, then maybe parents will quit enabling teens. I hope dontserveteens.gov continues its efforts in educating the public.
atleast if their not driving. id probably do that too if i were a parent. better to let them drink with supervision than to let them go out somehwere and be driving around wasted
You must realize that kids will always find a way to drink. It’s better to let that way be at your house under your supervision than driving around town plastered.