Brats a coming

[trianglesandwiches]

I've got some family coming around which involves older teenagers who are under 18. I'm fine with giving them something to drink and think the parents will be fine as well, but I'm curious because I know its illegal to buy under 18's Alcohol, but they can legally drink it in private. So if buy them something that's against the law right?
What if I give them some wine I already have?

No-one will care if they are drinking a small amount in your home.

Just make sure they aren't with you when you buy it as the shops will refuse the sale.

Why are you so keen to give the teens alcohol?

Check with the parents before you do anything else. Don't just assume they will be ok.

It's perfectly legal to let a child over 5 drink under adult supervision. In a private dwelling TheRe are rules though. You can't let them get paraletic drunk, well that's just basic common sense.

Please check with the dps. I would have the rage if my under age dc were offered alcohol.

Can’t you put the onus on their family to buy the alcohol if they are allowing them to? If the family are happy for them to drink alcohol I would give them a glass or wine or a beer but I wouldn’t be going out of my way to buy them specific drink. I don’t think it’s illegal in your own house to have a couple of drinks, you just can’t go to a pub and buy them an alcoholic drink.

YY to checking with the parents. Whilst it may not be illegal it is immoral.

Out of interest, does anyone know why it is legal to give a child over the age of 5 alcohol in your own home? I've always thought that a bizarre law.

If someone is under 18 I don't even offer alcoholic drinks to them. If they asked for it I'd say what do you parents say and put the responsiblity on them.

This clarifies it from a legal point of view: www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/alcohol-and-the-law/the-law-on-alcohol-and-under-18s/

Why are you fine with giving alcohol to someone else’s underage kids?

It's 16 in a restaurant, and anyone over 5 can be given alcohol to drink when not in a pub or a public place/proscribed area. At home is fine.

Whether it's a good idea is a separate issue. Either soft drinks only (your house your rules, irrespective of what they're allowed elsewhere) or adopt whatever the parents alcohol policy is. The one to avoid is permitting alcohol other than in ways the parents agree with.

There's a world of difference between a 6ft1 17yo having a glass of champagne for a toast, and a 13yo necking Smirnoff Ice all afternoon - not sure what age DC or expected level of drinking OP has in mind.

All of you lot saying it's 'immoral' to give under 18s alcohol or that you would be raging - are you serious? Do you not think you have a moral responsibility to help your kids learn how to drink safely and responsibly before they turn 18 and can do whatever they like?

It also seems like a lot of you don't know the law! You can't buy alcohol for under 18s in a licenced premises unless it's beer, wine or cider and they're drinking with a meal.

It is legal for anyone over 5 to drink alcohol. The restrictions apply to purchasing and location, not drinking itself. It is therefore perfectly legal for teenagers to drink alcohol in the home.

Medical guidelines suggest that children under the age of 15 shouldn't drink for health reasons, but studies have also shown that children who are alllwed to drink under supervision and learn from good role models are more likely to have a positive relationship with alcohol in adulthood.

So OP - certainly ask their parents, as it's their decision to make, but there is no law preventing them from drinking alcohol in your home.

The over 5 years rule may have some thing to do with alcohol in some medicines.

Why do you describe older teens as brats?

Brats? A coming? what on earth does your title have to do with your question? Is it just to grab attention?

Brats??? Really OP!
Why even have them in your house?

Brats is an affectionate term in my family. Not saying that's the case here, just suggesting everyone doesn't pile on!

Apart from you referring to them as brats, which is unpleasant, I don't understand why giving them a drink has to mean giving them alcohol.

Yep brats is affectionate in our family too. The brats have arrived etc.

I don't think OP is desperate to funnel alcohol down their throats and she's obviously thought about whether their parents would approve. I think she's trying to work out whether, if the brats would like a drink and their parents are OK with them having a drink, she'd be breaking the law by giving them a drink.

DS2 is mostly "Taz".

Thank you @Buster72 I knew it had to be for a specific reason or just some very old law that they hadn't bothered to update.

Its pretty much whether giving them alcohol is illegal in private or not basically. It seems a catch 22. They can drink it, but not buy it or have it bought for them so basically you seem to have to have it already for it be legal. I'm quite capable of consulting/asking my relatives whether or not they should be drinking it btw.

Beastie is a cute name in our family, people on here get really upset for me