Party hosts should be held accountable when minors gain access to alcohol at their parties/events. Many states have enacted statutes that hold the hosts of parties liable for any alcohol -- related injuries that occur as a result of the hosts providing or allowing minors to drink at these parties (National Conference of State Legislatures [NCSL], 2014). These statutes include injuries to the minor in question as well as anyone else who is injured as a result of the minor getting access to alcohol at parties/events. In some states the laws are more general such that the liability is not just limited to the minor who was allowed to drink but to anyone allowed to drink to the point where they caused injury/harm/death of another person as well as any damage incurred to other people. Most of these statutes also hold hosts liable for property damage related to these circumstances (NCSL, 2014). These types of social host liability statutes are similar to the laws that hold bars, restaurants, and alcohol retailers liable for injuries or damage that results from the actions of patrons who became severely intoxicated (NCSL, 2014). Most of these statutes impose on the party hosts a duty of care not to serve or to...

When one reads the statutes it is very clear that the term "furnish" alcohol means simply to make it available to minors (so minors can actually procure alcohol at the party without actually being served), whereas serving alcohol to minors infers knowingly delivering alcohol to them (NCSL, 2014). Thus, any party host that "furnishes alcohol" at their party to minors is in danger of being held liable for damages resulting from intoxication to the minor. So in instances where there is actual damage/harm done by minors who are furnished with alcoholic beverages many states have defined the extent of the liability of the social host.
It is quite clear that in most states that a business that sells alcoholic beverages to minors is held accountable whether they knowingly sold the alcoholic beverage to a minor or not (whether or not they claim that they knew that the purchaser was under 21; National Youth Rights Association [NYRA], 2015). Businesses are accountable and responsible for making sure the laws of the state are enforced. Party hosts should be held to the same standard.

Since the liability of the social host includes "furnishing" alcoholic beverages…