No matter how much risk is present, drinking is only possible when alcohol is made available. Since adolescents cannot purchase alcohol themselves, parents keeping alcohol in the home gives boys and girls access to alcohol that they would not otherwise have. Laws cannot prohibit adults from purchasing and possessing alcohol, but parents can be aware of the message they send to their children regarding underage drinking. For example, parents allowing “home parties” believe they are preventing dangerous drinking consequences (e.g., drunk driving, risky sexual behavior, fighting). Providing alcohol to all teens is illegal, but differences in traditional gender roles and parental monitoring would suggest that the “home parties” provided to daughters and sons are likely to differ in prevalence, frequency, and intensity, thus placing boys on a riskier drinking trajectory. It is therefore crucial to communicate through public service announcements the illegality and consequences of providing alcohol to teens.
