When I was growing up, my parents would allow my friends and I to drink in our house for special occasions. It was by no means a weekly event, but when the occasional party or graduation came about, we had fun. No one was allowed to leave afterwards. Everyone had to sleep over or have a parent pick them up. I guess that was the compromise of allowing someone underage to drink. No one got in trouble. None of the other kids parents called my parents yelling. No one really cared, because no one got hurt. At that time, none of us had a car, but even if we did, it was out of the question that someone would then get in a car and drive.
Times have changed though. Now, if a parent allows their kid, let alone someone else's kid, that is underage to drink, the parent is in trouble. It is against the law. Some parents don't understand that because when they were young it was common practice. Some parents don't care what the law is. And then there are the parents not really paying attention to anything going on and want to be cool. In a sad story out of North Carolina, one family learned the hard way why you should not provide alcohol to underage drinkers, especially why you should not allow them to then drive.
In North Carolina, parents hosted a wedding reception where teenagers were drinking underage. The teenagers were drinking liquor they bought before the reception. The parents state that they did not actually give the teens permission to drink at the party, but prosecutors argue that the teenagers, were drinking openly at the reception for all to view. One of the teenage girls stated that no one was limiting the amount of alcohol the teens drank. The teens then left the reception, got into a car accident, where one of the teenagers died. The parents hosting the reception are now charged with four counts of aiding and abetting underage possession and consumption of alcohol and are on trial.
Is it worth it to not know the law? I have no idea why none of the adults at this reception stopped the teens or secured rides home for them. You have to imagine that someone saw what they were doing if it wasn't being hidden. Why did all of the adults ignore it? Let this be a lesson next time you are out. Sure your kid will be mad. Sure he might say he hates you, but that will pass. Of course if you have kids, you know that if you give them an hour they will find another reason to hate you or that you are ruining their life. That is what teenagers do. At the end of the day, you are a parent, not a friend. It is your job to teach right from wrong. Of course that is easier said then done!
Times have changed though. Now, if a parent allows their kid, let alone someone else's kid, that is underage to drink, the parent is in trouble. It is against the law. Some parents don't understand that because when they were young it was common practice. Some parents don't care what the law is. And then there are the parents not really paying attention to anything going on and want to be cool. In a sad story out of North Carolina, one family learned the hard way why you should not provide alcohol to underage drinkers, especially why you should not allow them to then drive.
In North Carolina, parents hosted a wedding reception where teenagers were drinking underage. The teenagers were drinking liquor they bought before the reception. The parents state that they did not actually give the teens permission to drink at the party, but prosecutors argue that the teenagers, were drinking openly at the reception for all to view. One of the teenage girls stated that no one was limiting the amount of alcohol the teens drank. The teens then left the reception, got into a car accident, where one of the teenagers died. The parents hosting the reception are now charged with four counts of aiding and abetting underage possession and consumption of alcohol and are on trial.
Is it worth it to not know the law? I have no idea why none of the adults at this reception stopped the teens or secured rides home for them. You have to imagine that someone saw what they were doing if it wasn't being hidden. Why did all of the adults ignore it? Let this be a lesson next time you are out. Sure your kid will be mad. Sure he might say he hates you, but that will pass. Of course if you have kids, you know that if you give them an hour they will find another reason to hate you or that you are ruining their life. That is what teenagers do. At the end of the day, you are a parent, not a friend. It is your job to teach right from wrong. Of course that is easier said then done!
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