to think it's unreasonable to expect young teenagers to bring alcohol to the party

[SLS500]

My dd went to her friend's 17th birthday party. This has been planned for a while and we'd had brief chat a few days ago about whether there would be alcohol and she said yes. She's pretty sensible and has access to alcohol at home, but isn't interested and has never abused it, so I wasn't particularly concerned. Also, as it was a house party with the parents there I thought perhaps there'd be a few token beers, wine spritzers and soft drinks.

The parents had provided wine, gin, beers etc. and when this had finished they had to go out to buy more, but before doing so the mother who was clearly angry
shouted at the children they were all rude for not bringing a bottle as it was etiquette to do so.

Surely you wouldn't expect teenagers to think to take a bottle. She didn't go empty handed she took a birthday gift and card. She had two glasses of wine, so nothing excessive, but is upset for her friend who was embarrassed.

@luxxlisbon think you’re kissing the point. Nobody is arguing that teens don’t take booze to parties if they can get hold of it. It’s about the parent host who expected the kids to all bring as much as they could possibly drink despite not being old enough to purchase alcohol or have it purchased for them and when they didn’t shouted at them and felt the need to drive to the supermarket and restock. And provided spirits. All totally bizarre.

Of course they did

Its ridiculous to turn up to a house party without a drink, whether that’s soft or alcoholic.

I can count on one hand the amount of teens I went to school with whose parents didn’t buy them at least a few cans of cider to take to a house party at that age! And that handful were the ones who were never invited anywhere anyway (no wonder why)

Also it’s not illegal for parents to buy their teens alcohol

It’s only illegal when on a licensed premises

You're confusing shop assistants not being able to sell alcohol to people they think might be supplying it to a teen, with adults legally not being able to buy alcohol for their teens.

It's not illegal for parents to buy their children alcohol. You are getting confused with people supplying underage kids from supermarkets. And it was most certainly the norm with my peer group, although we used to get served at the local shop from the age of 15 anyway.

It absolutely is illegal for parents to buy alcohol for their under-age children. It has nothing to do with licensed premises.

Under-18s
Across the UK, if you’re under 18 it’s against the law:

For someone to sell you alcohol
To buy or try to buy alcohol
For an adult to buy or try to buy alcohol for you
To drink alcohol in licensed premises, like a pub or restaurant (although there is a limited exception for 16 and 17 year olds – see below)

I wouldn’t expect it, they are underage but I guess those drinking it should provide something

This is just wrong. children 5-17yrs can drink alcohol at home or private premises. Who do you think buys this?

It isn’t wrong. It’s the law. It is against the law to buy alcohol expressly to give to under-age people. It doesn’t matter if you are their parent. Having some at home and giving some to your child is OK.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/alcohol-and-the-law/the-law-on-alcohol-and-under-18s

Those expressing disbelief and the illegality of underage drinking at say 17 - tell me about your teenagers, not you as a teenager but your teenagers. Do they go to parties? Are they staying at home? Just interested as I've had many a teenager in my home my eldest is now 19 and at uni.

Their kids are probably as boring as they are

It’s not wrong actually, I think that is taken off the .gov website. There isn’t a law against 5-17 year old drinking on private premises. There are lots of things that don’t have individual laws against them. It is however illegal to purchase alcohol for under 18s. And if you’re hosting your kids party with just 2 adult parents there you place a large amount of alcohol hol in the party, you shout at them for having drunk it and then rush out to buy more how on Earth could you claim that you didn’t buy it for them? Subtley different to your child taking a couple of cans from your supply or you allowing them half a glass out of your own bottle of wine. That’s just how the law works

😂

I'm fed up of people spouting nonsense which is clearly wrong so here is the legislation that governs alcohol consumption:

1872 Licensing Act
1997 Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act
2003 Licensing Act

Under 18s can consume alcohol at home or private premises. It can be supplied by parents.
It is illegal to sell alcohol to under 18s
It is also illegal for under 18s to ask an adult to buy it for them.
The police have the power to confiscate alcohol from under 18s if drinking in public. They do not have the power to enter private premises unless they have probable cause, e.g.. a breach of the peace is being committed. At this point, they still do not have the power to confiscate alcohol from within private premises.

Yea they should have taken alcohol. They are 17 not 7.

@KatieBell12 are you including the government in the ‘people spouting nonsense’? Because this is on the .gov website it’s illegal for an adult to buy or try to buy alcohol for you (as an under 18).

and you can prosecuted for harm occurring to someone in your home through negligence or otherwise. Pretty sure that would include buying alcohol for minors.

A person commits an offence under section 146 of the Licensing Act 2003 if they sell alcohol or supply alcohol to a child under 18 or if they buy or attempt to buy alcohol on behalf of someone under 18.

What can happen?

Police can issue a parent with a £90 fine for supplying alcohol to a person under 18. This fine can only be issued once and if the parent is caught giving their child booze again or refuses to pay up they could be landed in magistrates’ court who have the ability to impose a fine of up to £5,000.

I have just dropped my DD (17) at a party - I gave her an old bottle of Limoncello (unopened) that I found
When she had her 16th last year, I provided cans of bud / some cider (weakest stuff) / some Prosecco but all the guests came with bottles of rum / tequila

That is correct. BUT once alcohol has been brought into the family home, it becomes stock of the household and then can be given to a child without triggering s146 of the Licensing Act 2003.

The mother was rude, hardly the person to lecture on etiquette.

From the age of 16+ I’ve always provided my guests with alcohol and food and would never need nor expect them to bring a bottle. If you can’t afford to throw a party, don’t 🤷🏻‍♀️

We all used to take cider. Yes our parents bought it for us, because as pps have mentioned they hoped that would keep us off the spirits….and yes, either there weren’t parents there or they weren’t monitoring alcohol uptake! Could it be it’s a big family party (ie grown ups and kids in attendance) and the kids have drunk booze not really intended for them but for adult guests?

@KatieBell12 @Millsbills its not illegal for a child to consume alcohol on private premises. It is , however, illegal to buy alcohol on behalf of a person under 18, even if that person is your child.
Buying your child alcohol for them to take to a party is illegal. Buying alcohol for other people’s teenagers at a party is illegal. Buying alcohol if you are under 18 is illegal.
Of course these things happen, but it is fairly radical to require people to do them in the name of good manners given that they aren’t even legal!

Yes, no one is arguing against that, though. You can give minors in your home alcohol under supervision.

Boring because they don’t drink?

Nah boring because they’re getting up in arms about teens drinking.

There is a difference between not drinking and thinking it’s so weird that teens do drink.