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The Legal drinking age is the minimum age one must be to drink alcohol. In most countries this is 16 or 18, but there are notable exceptions such as China, which has no minimum drinking age and the United States, where the minimum drinking age is 21. Some countries distinguish between drinks with fairly low alcohol-content (such as beer and wine) and stronger spirit-based drinks. Beer is sold in vending machines in Taiwan which has a limit of 18. Many countries have banned alcohol advertising aimed at the youth market.

Laws surrounding alcohol vary, but generally, minors are not allowed inside of drinking establishments and are not allowed to purchase alcohol. In the United Kingdom, children may enter pubs in the company of an adult until 9 PM and 14-year-olds may enter pubs unaccompanied if they order a meal. Some jurisdictions allow minors to drink in private, in some cases requiring parental permission; others do not.

The rigour with which age restrictions are enforced varies considerably from place to place: in some countries, proof of age is usually requested of everybody, while in others it is usually requested only if the customer appears to be obviously underage. Establishments that require proof of age will request it either at the door or when alcohol is purchased; usually, a driver's licence, passport, or special proof of age card must be used for this purpose. For obvious reasons, the degree to which minimum drinking ages are enforced in respect of drinking in private is determined largely by individual parents.

Legal drinking age by country

Note that exact laws vary from country to country, and often between states or provinces. Laws on consumption of alcoholic beverages vary even more widely. In some countries all alcoholic beverages are illegal, often due to religious law.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items.

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Legal drinking age in the United States

The most common justification given for the high U.S. minimum drinking age is that it reduces the number of car accidents. The drinking age is not a federal law; every state individually has set an age limit of 21. The federal government, however, would withhold some highway transportation funding to states which allowed drinking at a lower age. The U.S. population have for decades been heavy users of personal automobiles for transportation, and hence car accidents are relatively common, taking around 43,000 lives a year. According to proponents such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the relatively high US drinking age lowers the risk of accidents and alcohol addiction in younger people. Some studies support this claim, though others suggest that accidents and the learning curve for handling alcohol are simply moved to the 21+ demographic, perhaps not even saving any lives. Some people argue that if one is old enough to vote and be drafted (or voluntarily join the military), one is old enough to drink, and that being introduced to alcohol at a younger age in a family environment means people are more likely to learn responsible drinking habits. Many also consider it reasonable for college students to experiment with alcohol before they are 21, as long as it is done safely.

While the legal drinking age is 21 in all states, the legal details vary. Some states do not allow those under the legal drinking age to be present in liquor stores or in bars (usually, the difference between a bar and a restaurant is whether food is being served). Contrary to popular belief, few states specifically prohibit minors' consumption of alcohol in private settings.

See also

• National Minimum Drinking Age Act
• Legal issues of tobacco smoking
• Smoking ban

External links

• World Drinking Ages
• "Minimum Drinking and Purchasing Age Laws" (International Center for Alcohol Policies)
• Age at First Drink

• Aging
• Public law
• Alcohol law