Can I buy alcohol for a teen party?

[kellyandthecat]

DS 3 has his 17th coming up, and is having a birthday party. All his peers seem to have alcohol at these parties (beers, wine, champagne etc.) presumably brought by their parents. I don't have an objection to buying him and his friends some given that both myself and the DH will be in the house to supervise (upstairs - the kids will be out on the patio with the heater!) but I'm just wondering what the legal situation of this is given its other people's children. Do I have to inform the parents? I feel like I do but DS obviously thinks it would be 'uncool'. My DS has been to several of these parties this year, and no one has informed me when alcohol was being served. Any tips for party activities for older teens also appreciated!

[Sparklingbrook]

DS has been to a couple of 16th parties exactly as you describe where there has been beer and cider.
We did get a phone call from one boy's Dad to check we were ok with it.

Activities tended to revolve around the PS4 and eating takeaways.

[BackforGood]

IME, once they get to 6th form, there tends to be alcohol at parties, but it tends to be what they bring.
I wouldn't get alcohol in for other people's dc, no, but then I would be happy with them drinking what they brought, and am happy for my ds to take a couple of cans to someone else's party,.

[bigTillyMint]

Most parties DD has been to it seems to be soft drinks provided - the teens all take alcohol (lots of cider/lager bit vodka in the boys backpacks tòo Or maybe that's just the parties round here.

[Claybury]

It's a tricky one. We bought beer for our DS 17th knowing they all drink heavily. Nothing stronger though. I also bought cans of soft drink which all went - so my advice is I don't know about the alcohol situation and what other parents think, but buy lots of cans of soft drink and bottles of water in the hope they fill up on these. And lots of food, even if they say not to.
In the empties bin I found 4 small bottles of vodka but no other spirits.
They used hundreds of balloons of nitrous though [shocked]. Anyone else have this ?

[Claybury]

I might add it really depends on the crowd - for DD's 16 th there will be no alcohol as they don't want it, and I know the parents better, and I wouldn't dream of providing alcohol at all. And I know none of them would even think of bringing it.

[specialsubject]

patio heater???? I know the idea is to make sure they vomit outside but really??

tell them to bring some warm clothes, and provide some snacks to mop up the booze.Nothing containing carrot.

[nequidnimis]

Alcohol isn't generally provided at any of the parties mine attend, but parents turn a blind eye to cider or beer that's brought by guests.

I think it's a good solution - alcohol is available but presumably other people's parents provide what they're happy for their own child to drink, and you won't get any grumpy parents saying you're irresponsible.

[bevelino]

Responsible drinking in teens is a good thing however alcohol and teens can turn ugly if there are no responsible adults around. Dd went to a house party after GCSE's and the parents of the child having the party supplied alcohol and went out for the evening. The party got out of hand very quickly and to cut a long story short it ended with ambulances, police and visits by social services to parents of the teens lecturing about underage drinking.

[kellyandthecat]

Sounds ghastly bevelino. My DH and I will definitely be there!

[nikki1978]

Claybury that is very dangerous metro.co.uk/2014/08/09/no-laughing-matter-recreational-use-of-nitrous-oxide-balloons-can-kill-scientists-warn-4826582/