Many adults who drink alcohol do so responsibly. Be that as it may, many who are today’s parents drank at young ages and some lived through their teen years when it was legal to consume alcohol. Additionally, some families have well-established social traditions and customs which include alcohol consumption by all family members, regardless of age. Some parents simply do not believe that providing alcohol to minors is a problem. Yet, alcohol remains one of the most commonly used substances by teenagers.

It is not uncommon to hear of parents who believe their children are going to drink anyway and that it’s safer to have them drink at home where they can be supervised by the adults in their family. Some parents are mistaken in their belief that it is alright for teens to drink as long as they don’t drive. But, adults are often surprised to learn that they may face potential liability if problems arise from allowing underage alcohol consumption in their homes.

In fact, both the underage drinker and the person providing the alcohol to the minor may, depending on the role each played in the incident, incur criminal and civil liability when accidents or injuries occur. This can result in jail time, loss of employment and/or loss of personal assets.