Possibly throwing a party with underage drinking, any tips/advice?

[Solid SOAP]

Basically, my parents will be away for a weekend in May and I'm thinking of having a bunch of friends over (About 30-45, possibly more) to drink, smoke, etc. Now, before I attempt this, I'd like to understand what the possible consequences could be. I've thrown parties before and gotten away with it both times, but now that I'm over 18 I want to be safe about it just in case. I've read a lot of mixed things regarding the consequences, such as those above 18 can be put in jail, and on the other hand all that will happen is that under the impression that police DO bust it, that nothing will happen and they'll simply ask us to leave. Here's a couple of things to keep in mind:

*Again, I'm 19 years old.

*My parents will not be home, nor will my 23 year old sister.

*I have two neighbors who live right next to me, who have never had any problems with my parties before.

*I live in New York (As opposed to UK, etc) if that changes anything.

If someone could give me advice on the best ways to keep things under control, how to avoid too many people coming (Last time there were just like... way too many people who I just did not know), precautions to take, as well as the consequences I could suffer and possible loopholes around them, if possible. The things I've looked up have brought me way too varying opinions on the matter, and I'd like to see if anyone here could give me a more solid answer. It'd be much appreciated, thanks.

[TimberWolf]

Don't have underage drinking or smoking.

I mean, duh. If your "friends" complain, tell them to either suck it up and not be morons who think it's acceptable to potentially fuck up their entire lives with a juvenile conviction, and yours for allowing them to drink and smoke while underage and providing them with the means to do so, or stop being friends with them.

[Solkia]

Because age determines whether drugs are good for you or not, amirite?

I don't understand why anyone would want to do that stupid shit in the first place unless they were severely depressed. It doesn't make you look cool, in fact it makes you look like an idiot.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Solkia

[Jix Hedgehog]

- Let your neighbors know about the party

- Organize transport before hand so everyone can get home safely

- Have a pre-set cut off time to the event

- Remove all alcohol/drugs/smokes from the premises way in advance

- Have lots of trashbags on hand

[Tornado]

It just seems like a really bad idea to me. Drinking laws in America are stupid, but they are still the law; and you're risking an awful lot by doing this.

[Solid SOAP]

When I said I was looking for advice on how to throw this party, I wasn't asking to be judged or told that "durp drinking and smoking is stupid!!1". I'm simply asking for advice on how to keep it as low-key as possible without conjuring much attention and the consequences behind being caught in New York.

- Remove all alcohol/drugs/smokes from the premises way in advance

What constitutes reasonable cause in New York? I understand that the police have a right to enter my house, but only if they have reasonable cause to do so. I was planning on keeping all drinking downstairs so that there would be no complications regarding all illegal goods being visible.

The only reason I'm so concerned about all this is that, although I've thrown parties in the past, I was under 18 at the time, and don't want to get fucked for some law I was unaware of. I've never heard of anyone getting arrested where I live for hosting and attending parties, and I've been to and hosted a fair few to which there was no dire consequences, but I'm scared that now I'm older I'll succumb to much higher consequences.

Don't have underage drinking or smoking.

I mean, duh. If your "friends" complain, tell them to either suck it up and not be morons who think it's acceptable to potentially fuck up their entire lives with a juvenile conviction, and yours for allowing them to drink and smoke while underage and providing them with the means to do so, or stop being friends with them.

I like the quotes around the word "friends", as if what we do for fun determines whether or not we are closely bonded or not. I happen to be acquainted with a fair bit of intellectual, like-minded people who happen to enjoy partying on the weekend. We all have solid GPAs and go to good colleges, as well as genuinely care about each other and have each others backs. Undermining our friendship because we like to do things that you don't is extremely insulting.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Solid SOAP

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I've had a bit of exprience with this, and let me say that if you do this you are REALLY risking something heavy here. I can't really recommend this as a good idea at your age, honestly.

But for the most part since your going to go through with it anyway, make sure everyone who is drinking is generally inside the house or at least in the backyard (which isn't all that recommended, just to let u know) and keep them from being in front of the house. The more drunk friends who are outside WILL cause a ruckus that you don't want, which is the main thing people will more than likely call the police over if the police aren't already in the area. If necessary, make sure there are people (close friends are VERY much recommended for this) who hang around outside the premises to keep an eye on these things, those to warn you if the police are coming or if someone who is drunk is making a loud ruckus outside to help bring them back in or to ask one of their sober friends to take them home. And make sure their friends are sober. You don't want someone dying of DUI or DWI on you conscious.

I'm not sure how things go in New York since I currently reside in an almost rural part of Texas while attending university, but considering how much more urban New York is by comparison to the parts I'm in, you'd be in a bigger risk in that department.

EDIT: Oh and one more thing. This is something my dad warned me if I ever attended a party. If you EVER put you drink down to go do something else and you come back to it, THROW IT AWAY and get a new one! There's a good chance someone spiked it, and you don't want that risk to happen to you.

What constitutes reasonable cause in New York? I understand that the police have a right to enter my house, but only if they have reasonable cause to do so. I was planning on keeping all drinking downstairs so that there would be no complications regarding all illegal goods being visible.

The only reason I'm so concerned about all this is that, although I've thrown parties in the past, I was under 18 at the time, and don't want to get fucked for some law I was unaware of. I've never heard of anyone getting arrested where I live for hosting and attending parties, and I've been to and hosted a fair few to which there was no dire consequences, but I'm scared that now I'm older I'll succumb to much higher consequences.

Actually, they need a warrant to enter your house, but they will use tricks to circumvent that if you're not careful.

Here's some videos to help inform you:

This should help you out in a lot of cases. Although your mileage may vary in how successfully you are about it.

Edited April 9, 2012 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Solkia]

It doesn't really matter if you weren't asking for it. If you plan on doing something stupid, you need a wake-up call whether you like it or not.

Stuff like this really grinds my shit.

[Old dead account]

Oh the joys of being 21. My best advise would just be to not do it, there's too much at stake including risking a criminal record even if it's just casual social drinking, the laws on that kinda suck. Also, what if they get out of control with the drinking? Keeping track of 45 people is hard, what if one of your friends leaves while drunk as fuck and gets on the road? He may kill himself or someone else. Be smart about this.

Also, no Project X shit

[LunarEdge]

tbh, I use to party and drink when I was underaged and it was fun, but we did it the smart way. After becoming 21 though, every time I have a drinking party with friends, I never allowed underage drinkers. Given, I'm going for a job in law enforcement and my father is a SGT at our local PD.

To give ACTUAL advice, since you guys are going to do it anyway, I'd say have everything contained within the household/apartment/whatever dwelling you live in. Having people drinking/drunk outside is a bad idea, especially when you have 30+ of them over, you can't keep track of all of them. If they are outside, they are highly exposed to pass-byers and the neighbors. Keep the music semi-low enough to not bother the neighbors.

When you say smoke, do you mean like weed and such? I would suggest against that since if one of your friends get caught, you're liable since it's your household. Also, as noted beforehand, designated drivers. When I usually have people over who are drinking, I make sure they have one prior or I let them stay over. I take their keys promptly before they enter.

I know a lot of people here are against you having this party, but chances are if you host a party without the intention of underage persons being there, it may happen due to friends of friends and such, so I'll say just throw it and fun. Keep it safe.

Also, if I may add, if you respect your parents (idk your relationship with them) enough, you would highly consider what may happen to them if shit goes down hill during the party.

Edited April 9, 2012 by LunarEdge

[Tornado]

When I said I was looking for advice on how to throw this party, I wasn't asking to be judged or told that "durp drinking and smoking is stupid!!1". I'm simply asking for advice on how to keep it as low-key as possible without conjuring much attention and the consequences behind being caught in New York.

To be frank, you shouldn't have expected anything different. Note that I actually agree with you much more than I agree with TimberWolf (because give me a break. "Friends" in air quotes, as if your life is a PSA about peer pressure?), but it is still a really bad idea in my mind because of the sheer seriousness of the consequences.

What constitutes reasonable cause in New York? I understand that the police have a right to enter my house, but only if they have reasonable cause to do so.

Do you live in a town or village? If yes, then having a house party and being under 21 is enough reasonable cause for them to investigate in pretty much any court.

Edit: I explained this more below. When I said "investigate" I meant "knock on your door and ask you questions." The bit below explains it more detailed.

The only reason I'm so concerned about all this is that, although I've thrown parties in the past, I was under 18 at the time, and don't want to get fucked for some law I was unaware of. I've never heard of anyone getting arrested where I live for hosting and attending parties, and I've been to and hosted a fair few to which there was no dire consequences, but I'm scared that now I'm older I'll succumb to much higher consequences.

I'm not going to lie to you: If you get caught facilitating underage drinking, even though you are underage yourself, you will face jail time. As will your parents, since it happened on their property.

And if there's weed? You're pretty much fucked.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Tornado

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Honestly, drinking is one thing, and you're skirting things as it is.

But if you're bringing WEED to the party? Dude, if you want my advice, DO NOT DO IT. The alternative is to keep it even more heavily contained than the alcohol, and even that's too big a risk for you to attempt. And if the police are in the area, make sure there are no lit blunts (because they're likely a fire hazard), and any bongs and other things are kept hidden and not in plain sight. If the police see it, they can arrest you right then and there.

But honestly, I'm cool with the alcohol, but not so with the weed. And I'm saying that despite the advice I gave you. You deserve to be informed at the very least if you're going to make these kinds of risks.

Edited April 9, 2012 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[LATER BUDDY]

I think it really depends on where you live. I mean in my area back home, if someone were to do this, there could be a complaint pretty easily, and you'd probably get a knock at your door. However, when I go over to my friends' colleges, seems like there's parties every day in the neighborhoods, and I've attended quite a few of them myself underage. I don't drink or smoke anything mind you, but that's not the point.

If you're gonna do it, just be ready to kiss up to the consequences. It's a bad idea from the get go, but I know that's not probably going to stop you if you're determined on it, so just make sure you do it smart.

[Tornado]

Actually, they need a warrant to enter your house, but they will use tricks to circumvent that if you're not careful.

They only need a warrant if there is no probable cause for entry. For example, if they knock on your door, you answer it and they smell weed, everyone there is getting arrested while they toss the place.

Similarly, if they have probable cause to believe that underage drinking is taking place (an open container of alcohol combined with, say, one of the officers knowing the ages of some of the people at the party would be more than enough), the same thing would probably happen (though the actual situation would play out differently).

Edited April 9, 2012 by Tornado

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

They only need a warrant if there is no probable cause for entry. For example, if they knock on your door, you answer it and they smell weed, everyone there is getting arrested while they toss the place. Similarly, if they have probable cause to believe that underage drinking is taking place, the same thing would probably happen (though the actual situation would play out differently).

That doesn't exactly stop them from entering into parts of the house with open doors before they smell weed while the party is going on. Likewise, one of the tricks they do is to get you to invite them in if you're not flexing your rights. Again that's before they smell the weed. But yeah, that's definitely the case if they manage to get a sniff.

Them smelling is is pretty much the main reason why I advice not to do it, or if he's going to do it anyway to keep that shit on lockdown. Honestly, if there's any weed being smoked, do it upstairs and/or only in specific places. Definitely don't advise smoking in places like your parent's room, for example.

I'd advise him to stick to the alcohol and drop the idea of smoking weed. There's more trouble with the latter than the former, and that's not even saying much since he can get arrested either way. I have a friend who says that a better way to mask the scent is to use something like air freshener (Febreeze or something like that) or cologne. But honestly, how successful you are at that depends on how controlled the weed is. The more loosely controlled, the more fucked you are likely to be.

Edited April 9, 2012 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Solid SOAP]

Regarding weed being at the house, I wouldn't have anyone out front obviously. The way my house is set up, I'd have people in the back, under my porch to which the smell can't really go anywhere but within that capsule. It'd be hidden from basically everyone whose not in the general vicinity of the smokers, really, which would be obscured to all.

I feel like there's such a difference in views on this board compared to at home. My friends and I party frequently and have never run into any major problems (Except once where one friend got busted for throwing a party by the police, and the only consequence he suffered was that he had to call his parents and that was basically it). I don't live in NYC as I seem to have given you guys the impression of, I live in a pretty small town in New York, and there are parties just about every night on the weekends. I'm just looking for an outlet to make it the safest possible, really.

EDIT: I'm a little surprised at the general negativity here, really. Maybe it's just where I live, but I've been going to parties with drugs and alcohol since the latter half of my high school career and I've never faced anything too dire aside from reprimanding parents and cops telling me to "be safe" when I was caught smoking in my car with a few people.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Solid SOAP

[Solkia]

Well why didn't you say so? I wouldn't have wasted my time If I'd known that.

[Tornado]

Smoking underage isn't illegal.

[Solid SOAP]

Smoking underage isn't illegal.

Smoking weed underage is quite illegal, however if you know how not to get caught it's not very difficult to get away with.

Well why didn't you say so? I wouldn't have wasted my time If I'd known that

Sorry if I wasted your time..? I dunno what to tell you, dude, it was your decision to post in my thread.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Solid SOAP

[LunarEdge]

Smoking weed underage is quite illegal, however if you know how not to get caught it's not very difficult to get away with.

the term "smoking" can be taken in various ways and incorporate many different substances. Who knew what you truly meant to be fair.

Smoking marijuana in general is illegal, especially in NY

also, if I may interject, do you plan on actually taking any of our advice to heart? It seems as though no matter what we say, you're going to do what YOU want anyway.

Edited April 9, 2012 by LunarEdge

[Tornado]

You didn't specify weed.

And now I'm kind of curious why you bothered making this thread in the first place. If you've got everything so under control and your hometown is so laidback that you don't care that people are telling you it's a bad idea due to the potential legal consequences (or whatever) because you don't think they will happen to you, then good for you. Have fun and don't let us stop you. And I mean that.

But don't start a thread about how you are going to break the law and complain when people are telling you that it's a bad idea to break the law for reasons that you also don't seem to care about.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Tornado

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

My friends and I party frequently and have never run into any major problems (Except once where one friend got busted for throwing a party by the police, and the only consequence he suffered was that he had to call his parents and that was basically it).

First things first, don't assume that just because your friend got off with a slap on the wrist that you'll get off with the same. Just like how you may or may not have the police come to your house, you may or may not be arrest and suffer criminal charges especially in the case of weed.

Regarding weed being at the house, I wouldn't have anyone out front obviously. The way my house is set up, I'd have people in the back, under my porch to which the smell can't really go anywhere but within that capsule. It'd be hidden from basically everyone whose not in the general vicinity of the smokers, really, which would be obscured to all.

Not really different from what I advised.

That is exactly how it should be set up to lessen the risk of the police or deal with disruptive party-goers. Just don't let your guard down regardless if you still go through with this.

Edit: I see a bit of a different. Make sure your front door is watched. Use the peephole advised in one of the videos I provided if you're not going to have a few friends out on the front porch on watch.

Edited April 9, 2012 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Solid SOAP]

As a matter of fact I am taking your guys' advice to heart, specifically those who don't come in with a condescending attitude. ChaosSupremeSonic's posts in particular have been pretty helpful as well as a bunch of other ones. I don't understand why this is such a racy subject to all of you guys and why such negative energy surrounds your posts. Regardless of what I'm doing is legal or not, being called an idiot and that "the only reason to do such and such things is if you're depressed" is quite demeaning and uncalled for.

First things first, don't assume that just because your friend got off with a slap on the wrist that you'll get off with the same. Just like how you may or may not have the police come to your house, you may or may not be arrest and suffer criminal charges especially in the case of weed.

Of course, that's why I made the topic in the first place. It confuses me because where I live parties go on all the time and I've never, not once heard of a party getting busted that ends with someone getting arrested. Yet, reading on the internet how I could get arrested and all that seems so unlike what I've grown up with and seen with my own eyes.

I see a bit of a different. Make sure your front door is watched. Use the peephole advised in one of the videos I provided if you're not going to have a few friends out on the front porch on watch

I don't think I wanna have people just like, on my front porch, I feel like if anything that'd cause attention to neighbors for there being "suspicious people standing around so-and-so's house". However, I was considering having a friend or two on look out at the front windows after you recommended having some sort of look-out.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Solid SOAP

[LunarEdge]

Personally, I just believe drugs/alcohol aren't the means to a good time. Alas, I gave my advice and I hope you take some of it to heart. I will say this though, have a fun and safe night. Hopefully it goes off without a hitch.

[Old dead account]

Lucky you live in a laid back town. My town is extremely cactus up the ass anal about pretty much everything, especially this. I guess that's why I may have sounded a bit hostile, sorry.