In Connecticut, adults in a home may be responsible for what the underage children are doing. If alcohol or drugs is involved, even if the parents did not have it in the home, and it is a visitor who brings the substance, the adults could legally be liable.
This was highlighted earlier this month by Danbury Daily Voice when an underage girl was found semi-conscious in a home while the couple was upstairs, possibly unaware of what the teens were doing or what they had snuck in. When law enforcement arrived at a home in Bedford, several dozen teens ran from the premises and an unresponsive 16-year-old girl was found. Once she was transferred to the local hospital, test results showed she had smoked marijuana and consumed large amounts of alcohol.
Upstairs, an adult couple claim they were unaware that alcohol was being consumed at the party but called 911 immediately when they found out. Both the man and the woman were charged with one count of social host law violation and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. The couple surrendered themselves to the local authorities once they realized they were being charged. They claim that during their daughter’s sweet 16 party, the teens snuck in alcohol without their knowledge. The extent of the teen’s injuries is unknown.
It is important for parents to understand their responsibilities on their own premises. Anyone who has suffered an injury because of impairment that could have been avoided by a responsible host at a party may want to speak to an attorney.
