Legal drinking age

[alaric99x]

In almost all countries the legal drinking age is 18.  In France they just raised the drinking age ( in 2006) to 18, but very young kids will get one or two glasses of wine with meals at home.  You'll see that at restaurants too, nobody really enforces the drinking age, that is, not when the parents are ordering the wine.  It's very common to see 7 year old kids sipping on wine in the restaurants in France.  In Germany the legal age is 14 for beer and wine at any establishment as long as a parent or legal guarian is present.  At age 16 it's legal to order or buy beer and wine in Germany without a parent or legal guardian present, and at 18 it's legal to order or buy any kind of alcohol.  In the UK it's legal to drink beer, wine or cider from the age of 5, as long as you're home with your parent or guardian or in someone else's home.  In the UK you can also order beer, wine or cider in a restaurant,  without a parent or guardian present, as long as you order that together with your restaurant meal, no restrictions on how much you order with any meal.  In the UK, as in most places, the drinking age for all alcoholic beverages is 18.

[Ittai]

I have heard and seen that different countries have different legal drinking age. Some places kids are able to pick up alcohol for adults and so on... I think i would want me kids to be 18 and over to start anything like drinking...

[alaric99x]

So I could assume that you don't routinely serve a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, or whatever other kind of wine, to your 7 year old boy or girl to enjoy with his or her spaghetti-o's?

[bobes915]

When I lived in Germany in the early 2000's, they didn't even enforce the legal drinking age.  When I asked them, most of my friends had their first drink around age 7.  Most often this was in a restaurant and purchased by their grandparents. 

[demaina]

Ehh, things are funny like that.  My dad would order wine or beer and ask us if we'd like to try in when we were younger.  Obviously that's different then having your dad order you a glass of beer, but sorta same thought.  Honestly though, drinking isn't bad if done in moderation.  If you have a glass of wine with that chicken breast, carrots, mashed potatoes, and a salad, it really isn't going to do a lot to your body.

[mperez7372]

I live in New Orleans.  The drinking age was always 18 here until a few years ago.  I think now you can go in bars at 18 but not drink until 21.

[megbliss]

america needs to get with the program on:
1. drinking age
2. metric system.

that is all.

[alaric99x]

When I lived in Germany in the early 2000's, they didn't even enforce the legal drinking age.  When I asked them, most of my friends had their first drink around age 7.  Most often this was in a restaurant and purchased by their grandparents. 

Of course, I'm well aware of that, it's still the same way today.  You order a bottle of wine in a restaurant, none of the staff will pay any attention if you give your kids a glass or two.

[black1304]

It's not illegal to allow your child to drink at home in America, is it? 

[smithjcsdfw]

I have always had a problem with the "legal" drinking age period.  Sounds a lot like government involvement in being a parent.  And furthermore if a young person is allowed to make the decision to serve their country I believe that person should be allowed to make the decision to consume amy beverage they choose.

[alaric99x]

It's not illegal to allow your child to drink at home in America, is it? 

Yes, it actually is against the law.  It's just that nobody monitors what you do in your own home.  If any law enforcement authority could ever find proof that you were providing alcohol to an underage minor, you would have some serious legal, or actually criminal problems to deal with.  

[brum7814]

Funny thing about alcohol in this country.  I'm guessing it could be partially due to the fact we have to wait until 21 to drink.  One group of people consider drinking evil, and are taught from a young age that concept.  The other group of people are just as strange.  You could go visit a friends house and grab a soda out of their fridge with out asking and they'd think nothing of it, but if you touch a beer with out asking you better look for a new friend.  Kind of funny how protective people are of such a small thing.

[lvstephanie]

It's not illegal to allow your child to drink at home in America, is it?  

Yes, it actually is against the law.  It's just that nobody monitors what you do in your own home.  If any law enforcement authority could ever find proof that you were providing alcohol to an underage minor, you would have some serious legal, or actually criminal problems to deal with.  

Actually there is no federal law proscribing that, nor is there a federal law against drinking under 21. All of those laws are under state jurisdiction. The states themselves have to make those laws. Which is why mperez7372 mentioned that it was legal in New Orleans until a few years ago. Wisconsin also recently considered dropping their drinking age to 18; I believe that law failed, but they do allow 18-year olds to drink at home under parental supervision (and I believe it has to be their own parents, not their friend's). The reason why most people have this misconception is that the federal government has usually included a 21 drinking limit attached to their highway funding, meaning if a state chooses to have a drinking age lower than 21, they don't get the funds from the federal government. Which is why in some states this is a big debate... Can they get enough tax money generated from sale to those in the 18-20 year old range to compensate for the loss in money from the federal government.

I personally think that their should be a single age of majority. After that age, you can buy tobacco, view pornography, buy alcohol, make legal-binding agreements, go to war, drive a car, consent to sex, etc. As it is, we seem to have many different ages of majority, some of which seem backwards. In some states, the age of consent is 16 (or even younger) yet some movies are Restricted for those under 18 (let alone No Children 17 and under or more hard-core pornography). Tobacco is also set to 18, yet alcohol is set to 21. Binding-contracts are set to 18 yet most rental agencies won't allow you to sign a rental agreement unless you are at least 25. And probably the most adult thing -- to sacrifice your life for your country -- is set to 18.

EDIT: Why is it that "pornography" is ok to write in the forums, but "p*rn" gets *beep*'ed?! (And I can't even substitute a zero?!)

[monkmano]

In canada most provinces have a legal drinking age of 18 but a couple have a legal drinking age of 19.

[annettefayeroach]

I believe that since the legal drinking age is 21 then then age for someone to sign up to serve this country and be willing to die for this country should be 21.
 If someone is old enough to signup to serve this country then he/she should be old enough to legally drink.