Teenager dies after parents force him to drink to learn dangers of alcohol

Parents of a teenage boy in Wyoming, US, have been arrested over his death after they made their son drink to learn about the dangers of alcohol.

16-year-old Kendall Ball’s father was an alcoholic, but he revealed to his mother, Paulettte Richardson, and stepfather Joseph Richardson that he still wanted to drink.

In a misguided effort to demonstrate the dangers of alcohol, Richardson allegedly gave Ball drinks from 8.30pm until 10.30pm at their home earlier this summer.

Ball drank shots of whiskey as well as beer before retiring to his bed.

Richardson checked on him at 11pm where he gave her a thumbs up, but when checking on him later the teen was unresponsive.

Court documents state that the teen’s ‘lips and eyelids were dark blue’ and that there was reportedly fluid coming out of his mouth.

An autopsy later determined that Ball died of acute alcohol poisoning.

County attorney Loretta Gerrard told the Uinta County Herald that the boy’s parents had obviously miscalculated their decision to give the teen a ‘life lesson’.

She said: “I am not here to make parenting decisions for people. What I hope people understand, however, is that some traditional parenting lore, wives tales or theories don’t apply in an age where we have refined products that accelerate the effect of chemicals on the human body.”

The couple have now been charged with involuntary manslaughter and could face up to 20 years in prison.