Legal drinking age

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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 the privacy of their own home, with their parents' permission, and 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.

1 Legal drinking age in the United States
2 Legal drinking age by country
3 See also
4 External links

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Legal drinking age in the United States

The high U.S. minimum drinking age is based on minimizing 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 it has a higher fatality rate per driver mile, 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 appear to support this claim, though others have implied 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, 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. Some parents, however, choose to let their children drink, as long as they are around and don't consume too much. Some parents also allow their children's friends to drink with them.

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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 expanding it.

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A - D

Country / region	De jure		De facto	Notes
Country / region	Drinking Age	Purchase Age	De facto	Notes
Antigua	16
Argentina	18
Armenia	No minimum age
Australia	18		No minimum age to drink in private with a parent/guardian
Austria	16 (beer and wine), 18 (spirits)			In Vorarlberg, it is 16 for spirits.
Azerbaijan	No minimum age
Barbados	18
Belarus	18		Corruption makes it very easy for someone under the drinking age to get alcohol.
Belgium	16
Bermuda	18
Brazil	18		Most places don't ask for proof of age.
Bulgaria	18		Corruption makes it very easy for someone under the drinking age to get alcohol.
Canada	18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec; 19 elsewhere		No minimum age to drink in private with a parent/guardian	Legal drinking age legislation falls under provincial jurisdiction.
People's Republic of China (mainland China)	No minimum age
Colombia	18		Most places don't ask for proof of age
Denmark	No minimum age	16 (in shops), 18 (in bars and restaurants)
Dominican Republic	18

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E - H

Country / region	De jure		De facto	Notes
Country / region	Drinking Age	Purchase Age	De facto	Notes
Ecuador	18
Egypt	16
Estonia	18
Finland	No minimum age	18 (shops up to 22% ABV and all drinks in bars), 20 (over 22% ABV in shops)	Legal drinking age is actually enforced to be 18	Law mentions only minimum legal possession age, but it is often interpreted that holding a glass or bottle for a time it takes to drink its contents is possession. On some cities non-disturbing or private drinking is overlooked, others have so called "zero-tolerance".
Fiji	18
France	16	16 (beer and wine), 18 (spirits)	The legal drinking age is not enforced when drinking in private
Georgia	No minimum age
Germany	16 (beer and wine), 18 (spirits)		The legal drinking age is not enforced when drinking in private	Minors in possession of alcohol are not punished; however, people who make alcohol available to minors are.
Greece	16 or 18
Hong Kong SAR, China	18
Hungary	18

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I - N

Country / region	De jure		De facto	Notes
Country / region	Drinking Age	Purchase Age	De facto	Notes
Iceland	20
India	Varies by state. 18 in Karnataka (lowest); 25 in Delhi (highest). Maharashtra: 21 (beer and wine), 25 (spirits)	Per state age limit, but rarely enforced.
Republic of Ireland	18
Israel	18
Italy	16	No minimum purchasing age
Jamaica	18
Japan	20
Korea	21
Latvia	No minimum drinking age	18
Lebanon	18
Lithuania	18
Malaysia	21			The sale of alcohol to Muslims is illegal, as is consumption of alcohol by Muslims.
Mexico	18		Rarely enforced.
Netherlands	16 (beer and wine), 18 (spirits)
New Zealand	No minimum drinking age	18
Nigeria	No minimum age
Norway	No minimum age	18 (beer and wine), 20 (spirits)

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O - V

Country / region	Legal drinking age	Legal purchasing age	Notes
Pakistan	No minimum drinking age	16
Peru	18	18
Philippines	18	18
Poland	No minimum drinking age	18
Portugal	No minimum drinking age	16 (beer and wine), 18 (spirits)	People suffering from mental illness or notoriously drunk cannot purchase or obtain alcoholic beverages.
Romania	18	18	The legal drinking age is not enforced when drinking in private
Russia	18	18
Serbia	18	18
Slovakia	No minimum drinking age	18	If enforced, only the seller can get in trouble, if he/she sells alcohol to underage people
Slovenia	No minimum drinking age	18
Singapore	18	18
South Africa	18	18
Spain	18	18
Sri Lanka	18	18
Sweden	18 in public	18 (bars, < 3.5% beer and cider in shops), 20 (liqour stores)
Switzerland	No minimum drinking age	16 (beer and wine), 18 (spirits)
Republic of China (Taiwan)	18	18
Turkey	18	18
Uganda	18	18
Ukraine	21	21
United Kingdom	5 privately and with parental consent, 18 in public	18/16 in certain circumstances (see right)	Persons aged 16 and over can be served beer and cider (and wine in Scotland) if ordered with a meal in a restaurant or pub. For all other drinks and/or purchases from non-food serving pubs and restaurants, and off-licenses, the age is 18.
United States	21	21	As of 2005, 21 states do not specifically ban underage consumption and an additional 15 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage consumption laws. [1] Federal law explictly provides for religious, medical, employment and private club possession exceptions; as of 2005, 31 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage possession laws. [2]
Vietnam	No minimum age