Dad Defends Teen Drinking Party

Lesley Stahl Talks To Father Who Was Arrested For Allowing Teenage Drinking At Home

(CBS)  But parents are up against things like "alcopops," a new class of sweet, fruity drinks that beer-makers like Anheuser Busch are allowed to advertise on television. Mosher believes these ads, and the drinks, are aimed at teenagers -- and the strategy is paying off.

"They're most popular with young girls, and we're talking about eighth-grade girls," says Mosher.

What about the company's responsibility? "I just watched an ad," Stahl tells Katz. "It's so about youth and the fun of drinking. What about doing something about those ads?"

"It doesn't matter if a teen notices an ad, if they might laugh at an ad," says Katz.

But isn't the ad targeting young people? "Well, actually nobody in our ads is under the age of 25," says Katz. "So, it all depends on what your definition of young people is."

"But if you're a teenager, you want to be 25," says Stahl.

"Of course you do," says Katz. "You know, when you're a teenager, you want all the adult privileges. And our job as parents is to make our kids understand what is appropriate for them."

Katz points out that the Federal Trade Commission found no evidence that makers of alcopops are specifically targeting teenagers with their ads.

Meanwhile in Kansas, the cops are holding parents responsible. They’re patrolling the streets in search of a party. If the parents allowed it, they’ll be arrested, and Morrison will try to send them for a weekend in the county jail.

"I think the argument that I have a safe alcohol party for my kids is like saying, 'You can come over to my house and have sex. I'm gonna have a bunch of condoms down in the basement so we'll make sure that it's safe sex. But come on over, because I know you're gonna do it anyway. You can do it on the futon in my basement.' Would that be acceptable?" asks Morrison.

Bill and Pat Anderson say they would never host a party for kids to have sex or use illegal drugs. But did it cross their mind that they were in some way encouraging drinking?

"No. Quite honestly, I would prefer it if they didn’t drink," says Bill Anderson. "However, if they’re going to drink, my role as a parent is to ensure that my kids grow up ready for life, and that they grow up. And if your kids die in a drunk driving accident, you don’t have that option."

So would he do it again?

"Absolutely," says Bill Anderson.

"One of the things that we've done, I think, for too long in this country, is say, 'You know what? Kids will always drink. I drank, my dad drank, his dad drank. Let's just accept it,'" says Morrison.

"I don't think that's a good way to handle a problem, because if you’re gonna say that it’s OK for parents to allow kids to consume illegal substances as long as they take their keys away from them, basically what you're saying is, 'We give up.'”