This article is a wake up call for parents everywhere. It happens and we all know it happens, we were all teenagers once too even though your kids probably don't believe that. It probably happens more than parents would like to think it happens and the topic of allowing kids to drink in one's own home continues to be debated with the rational being, "at least it's in my home and I know what is going on." These particular parents allegedly allowed the party, alerting neighbors of the party, but did not allow alcohol and had no idea that someone had secretly brought some into the party.
My daughter is far from this stage, but I know we will be faced with it at some point. I hear about this dilema often in my practice amongst parents. There are even some high schools where I live that have parents sign a contract with the school that they will 'not serve alcohol to their children or any other students.' I don't know how enforceable that is, but perhaps it's just the fact that they signed it that the schools feel may make the parent second guess themselves if they decide to serve alcohol in what they believe to be a 'supervised setting.' There is lots of liability involved in serving minors and minors who have driven a car to your home and will encounter other drivers on the ride to wherever they plan to go when they leave your house. Teenagers are impulsive by nature and there is a biological reason for that, and adding alcohol to the mix is a combination that can be deadly and have far reaching impacts for many.
http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/07/9281032-are-parents-responsible-for-teen-drinking-even-if-they-dont-know-about-it
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