What Is The Illegal Drinking Age?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In California, the legal age is

21

. If a person sells or furnishes alcohol to anyone under that age, they could be charged with a misdemeanor. The law also applies to underage individuals who purchase or attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages.

What is the legal drinking age in Australia?

Legal drinking age – you must be

18 or older

to buy alcohol or to alcohol in a licensed venue. Selling alcohol – it's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to someone who is already drunk. Labelling – all packaged alcohol must show how many standard drinks it contains.

Can you drink at 18 in the US?

The legal age for purchasing or publicly consuming alcohol in the United States is

21

based on the National Minimum Drinking Age Act that was passed in 1984. … According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 60% of youth admit to drinking at least one drink by the time they are 18 years old.

What is the highest legal drinking age?

Of the 190 countries, 61% have a drinking age of 18 or 19 years old. The United States and 11 other countries have an MLDA of

21 years old

, the highest MLDA of all the countries where it is legal to drink (although some areas of India have drinking ages as high as 25 and 30 years old).

Is drinking alcohol at 14 illegal?


It is not illegal

:

For someone over 18 to buy a child over 16 beer, wine or cider if they are eating a table meal together in licensed premises. For a child aged five to 16 to drink alcohol at home or on other private premises. … We strongly advise an alcohol-free childhood, as recommended by the Chief Medical Officers.

What states allow drinking at 18?

Plus, in North Carolina, you can pour beer and wine at eighteen, but not liquor until you are 21. As you can see, it quickly gets confusing when it comes to the minimum legal age and liquor. There are only five states with no exceptions to the federal law:

Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and West Virginia

.

What is the youngest drinking age in any country?

Youngest Drinking Age

At least eight countries and regions have set their MLDA at

16 years

. These countries include Barbados, the British Virginia Islands, Cuba, Luxembourg, Panama, Serbia, Serbia, and Zimbabwe.

Can a 13 year old drink alcohol at home?

It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone aged under 18 and for under 18s to buy or attempt to buy alcohol. However,

children aged five to 16 are legally allowed to drink alcohol at home

or on other private premises. … The NHS says: “Drinking alcohol can damage a child's health, even if they're 15 or older.

Can you drink at 16 in Australia at home?

It is illegal to buy alcohol for someone under 18 in a licensed premises, the only exception is for

16 or 17 year-olds who are allowed to drink beer, wine or cider with food if with an adult

(but they may not buy the alcohol themselves). It is legal for anyone over 5 to drink alcohol.

What is China's drinking age?

Country/ Territory On-premise sale Legislation and regulations Central African Republic [none] [n/a] Chad

18

* Law 2017-01 Penal Code Chapter 6 Art 376-378
Chile 18 Law 19.925 on the Sale and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages China 18* Law on the Protection of Minors as revised in 2006 Art 37

What is Japan's drinking age?

The legal drinking age in Japan is

20

. While this age differs from country by country, as long as you're over 20 years of age, you're free to drink in Japan. (Just be sure to bring your passport with you for ID.) As in many other countries, people under the legal age of 20 also cannot purchase alcohol.

What is the youngest drinking age in the US?

The MLDA in the United States is

21 years

. However, prior to the enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, the legal age when alcohol could be purchased varied from state to state.

Can you drink at 16 in Ireland?

Ireland's drinking laws are pretty crystal clear – the

legal drinking age in Ireland is 18

. That means you need to be 18 to buy a drink in a pub or to buy any form of alcohol from a store. … According to Ireland's drinking laws, it's illegal: For anyone below 18 years of age to buy alcohol.

What happens if a 13 year old drinks alcohol?


Alcohol poisoning

is exactly what it sounds like — the body has become poisoned by large amounts of alcohol. Violent vomiting is usually the first symptom of alcohol poisoning. Extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, and even death may result.

Can a 12 year old drink alcohol?


There is no acceptable amount of alcohol that is considered safe for children

. Children metabolize alcohol faster than adults. This means that even a small amount of alcohol can lead to higher blood-alcohol concentrations. This can lead to low blood sugar, coma, and problems regulating body temperature.

Can you drink at 14 in the UK?

However, if you're 16 or 17 and accompanied by an adult, you can drink (but not buy) beer,

wine or cider with

a meal. If you're 16 or under, you may be able to go to a pub (or premises primarily used to sell alcohol) if you're accompanied by an adult. … It's illegal to give alcohol to children under 5.

Sophia Kim
Author
Sophia Kim
Sophia Kim is a food writer with a passion for cooking and entertaining. She has worked in various restaurants and catering companies, and has written for several food publications. Sophia's expertise in cooking and entertaining will help you create memorable meals and events.