16 year olds birthday and alcohol!

[MyWildOliveGoose]

I am currently planning my 16 year olds birthday. She’s decided she wants a mature disco party, not a kids one lol.. with nice food and mocktails (she’s tried drinking before and hates it!)

The issue we have is a lot of her peers hear party and think “alcohol” .. so they’re asking if there will be any. We’ve steered away from our venue being a pub setting due to this and have hired a hall.

A lot of her friends/peers have said they will bring their own alcohol or pre-drink and she’s very much “not our business what they do before they come” but she’s been really clear that if they do bring alcohol, they won’t be able to drink it whilst in my care. It’s impossible for me to police this as I usually would - talking to parents etc as it is a wider group of friends coming than the usuals whose parents I can check with. Plus they will all be making their own way rather than being dropped off etc.

How is this best managed? I was thinking to provide one WKD type drink for everyone who wants one - rather than anyone turn up with it, but then also don’t want this responsibility incase any of them don’t have an agreement or permission from their parents.

I think you would have been better off in a pub to be honest….less likely to turn up with their own booze that way and a close eye would be kept on them by staff.

If you don’t want alcohol there, you’ve set yourself an impossible talk. You realistically can’t check their bags etc. Are you seriously going to confiscate if you do find anything?

To say one WKD each but no more, is like giving a small child one smartie at a party and then saying no more.

I think you have to do some rethinking about the venue to be honest or be prepared for a lot of drunk teens.

Parties this age involve alcohol. I don’t think you can stop it is you’re having a large number of kids.

They will turn up with alcohol regardless of what you provide or what rules you try to set op. I think if you and your dd aren't prepared for that maybe she needs to celebrate in a different way?

They’re 16 so I don’t see an issue with low strength alcohol being provided, cider or alcopops around the 4% mark, much better than someone turning up with wine or vodka which is much stronger.