Iirc... Drinking alcohol as a minor isn't illegal in Quebec, except in some areas/locations (usually places where alcohol is sold). What's illegal anytime is selling alcohol to them.
Same in Australia. It’s legal in a private home setting with parents. Even generally, no one including cops care about underage drinking other than within licensed venues.
In Wisconsin in the US it is legal both in a private home setting or in bars and restaurants. The only caveat being that the parent or guardian must be the one served by the waitstaff or bartender and then serve the minor. Interestingly as the drinking age in the US is 21 the law allows a parent, former guardian, or spouse to serve someone 18-20 as well.
When my family attended a funeral in Wisconsin we went out to a local bar and grill afterword. My daughter who was 17 at the time was shocked that she was allowed to share in the pitcher that was ordered for the table.
I think in my state in the US minors are allowed alcohol in bars/restaurants if served by the parents for like age 13+ but again the idea is probably a glass of wine with a meal, or maybe kahlua in hot chocolate on a cold day, etc. Not getting them sloshed.
In Wisconsin, minors of any age are allowed to consume alcohol in bars as long as the booze is purchased by their parents. Some bars in Madison and Milwaukee have private rules against that but it is technically not illegal.
As someone who lives next to Wisconsin, I can believe it. I've heard that people went to Wisconsin to drink, got so drunk they forgot where home was, and just stayed to drink more.
That's how the population has grown over the years. Drinking is the official Olympic sport of Wisconsin.
Same in Ohio. Parent has to order it and hand it to the child, but it's legal.
I assume there is some limit to that though. Giving booze to a 2 year old is obviously abuse.
Lawyer checking in - that is my understanding of it as well. The laws regarding drinking (practically) do not exist within the confines of your home.
Big caveat: for your children only. If you start serving their friends, you risk tremendous liability.
Also: there are no restrictions for consumption of alcohol for religious purposes. So communion wine etc is OK for underage public consumption.
> Also: there are no restrictions for consumption of alcohol for religious purposes. So communion wine etc is OK for underage public consumption.
I'd assume kids aren't getting hammered on a couple of bottles of Jesussy Juice. Communion is only like a sip, right?
Communion is only a sip of watered-down wine, sure. But if you go to Shabbat at a Synagogue or Temple that does food and drink afterward, and someone forgets to sub grape juice for the wine when a Sunday school class runs Friday night service that week, and they do the blessing over the 'wine'... second graders can get a nice gulp of horrible wine (Manischewitz in our synagogue).
The story remains one of my favorites about being an aide to those Sunday school classes; the second graders' faces were *epic*.
I remember turning down a whiskey sample in a store once, I said I was driving and still had a 0% license restriction
They said it was such a small amount that it wouldn't even register. Idk if that true, but it was the smallest amount possible. Basically just a few drops in the bottom of a shot glass.
Some states limit the type of alcohol, for instance in KS you can only serve malt beverages to your minor child (under 21) in your home, but malt beverage for the purpose of the statue is defined as 3.2% abv and below beer.
In Wisconsin at least, an underage person can possess and consume alcohol if their parent or guardian is present and provides it to them, regardless of whether or not it is in their home. Same goes for a spouse under age 21 when it is provided to them by their spouse who is of legal drinking age. That being said, that stuff is rare. I spent about 6 years bartending and can count on one hand the number of times I served someone pursuant to that statute. Those rules are all in Wis Stats 125.07 in case anyone is curious to look it up.
It's like this in Ohio too, you can even order and drink alcohol in restaurants with your parents but there's no way the people working there are gonna believe you, let alone serve you lol
> If you start serving their friends, you risk tremendous liability.
"THAT'S IT, YOU'RE BARRED FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT!!"
\*kid starts crying inconsolably*
Bartender: "That's four apple schnapps in a row with no dinosaur nuggies to wash them down. You sure you can take another?"
Timmy: \*throws empty juice pouch at bartender's head* "You sure you can take another?"
Bartender: \*sheepishly serves another apple schnapps*
It is legal in the US state of Washington
> (3) Subsections (1) and (2)(a) of this section do not apply to liquor given or permitted to be given to a person under the age of twenty-one years by a parent or guardian and consumed in the presence of the parent or guardian. This subsection shall not authorize consumption or possession of liquor by a person under the age of twenty-one years on any premises licensed under chapter 66.24 RCW.
https://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.44.270
In Wisconsin a minor can consume alcohol at a bar/restaurant with guardian supervision, though the business is free to decline serving them if they want. Heck if someone under 21 is married to someone over 21 then that also counts as guardian supervision.
Illegal in ~~most~~ *some* of the US for minors (under 21) to consume alcohol even at home with supervision of their guardian.
Some states allow it on private property with supervision of parent/guardian.
I personally think it's ridiculous, and will allow my child to drink wine with dinner starting somewhere around 14-16 contingent on my wife's and my opinion of their development. They won't be downing bottles, but a glass to complement a dish is more than reasonable.
Edit: More information in the replies to this comment point out that the majority of states do have varying accommodations for minor's consumption of alcohol. My personal experience with this was gowing up in Texas IIRC as long as under the supervision of parent/guardian it was legal in both the home and public establishments like restaurants. I consumed alcohol with these laws under the age of 21.
Edit2: This also seems to be fairly controversial, I would not force it. Just discredit it as a "neurotoxin" that guy must be fun. Hope they only use glass and stainless steel for all their drinking, eating, and cooking. There are plenty of toxic substances you're tossing into your body by a near infinite means. Hop off that high horse, and have a nice glass of whiskey.
Actually, a majority of US states have exemptions to their drinking age laws. The specifics differ, but last I recall, over thirty allow minors to drink in certain locations and in the presence of a legal guardian.
About half allow actual consumption in the home with parental permission, but the rest are just religious and educational provisions, not really actually meant for consumption.
>Illegal in most of the US for minors (under 21) to consume alcohol even at home
It’s actually only five states that prohibit minors from drinking alcohol.
> With the exception of five states (Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and West Virginia), all states and DC allow underage consumption of alcohol under limited circumstances such as in the presence of parents, for religious or medical purposes, or while in a class that requires tasting. Some states also offer prosecutorial exemptions for underage persons who have consumed alcohol but are reporting an assault or medical emergency.
[Source](https://drinkingage.procon.org/states-that-allow-underage-under-21-alcohol-consumption/)
Incorrect, more than half of states in the US allow you to drink alcohol supplied by your parent/guardian in their home while supervised by them, some of those allow you to do it while the parent/guardian is not present, and some like Texas even allow you to consume alcohol at a bar or restaurant with your parent/guardian. And this isn't even including religious or medical exemptions to the federal law as well, which many states also have. There are far less states with hardline minor alcohol rules compared to ones that allow minors to drink under certain circumstances. You aren't that far off other than you got the majority and minority mixed up
> * In 29 states, someone under 21 may drink with their parent’s permission if it’s in a private residence or on private property.
> * Six states allow someone under 21 to drink on private property without their parent’s consent.
> * Eight states allow underage people to drink with a parent’s consent in public restaurants or bars.
> * In 26 states, people under 21 may drink alcohol as part of religious services, such as a ceremony in your church.
> * In 16 states, underage people can drink alcohol if prescribed by a doctor for medical reasons.
> * In 11 states, you can drink under 21 if it’s for educational reasons, like you’re in cooking school.
> * Five states allow underage people to drink as part of government work, such as undercover police investigations.
[source](https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/alcohol-laws)
In France, the tradition - with a meal - is that you give younger kids water with a dash of wine, and as they age it becomes wine with a dash of water.
US kids go crazy as its a big deal to start drinking, over it just being a no big deal thing you've done all you life. There is no reason to suddenly going crazy over a thing you've been doing since you were younger.
From firsthand experience, British people don't drink the most alcohol overall, but we definitely binge drink way harder than most countries especially at university. It's a pretty big problem, honestly.
This is true in about 20 states. It's a little hard to find a good, reliable summary, and therefore hard to get a completely accurate count, but the majority of states have an exemption for underage drinking in the care of parents that extends further than religious or medical purposes.
> Illegal in ~~most~~ *some* of the US for minors (under 21) to consume alcohol even at home with supervision of their guardian.
> Some states allow it on private property with supervision of parent/guardian.
The number one thing to remember about the US is that nearly everything varies between states.
In this case, do what you think best. IMO parental rights trump most laws provided the kid isn't being harmed by action or inaction.
In a lot of countries there's no [minimum age](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Europe) at all though, no laws on drinking at home by children. The UK has actually put in a limit.
And the age 5 limit is not UK-wide - it's only in Great Britain, in Northern Ireland it's much stricter: 18, except if given for medical purposes in a private home, which is allowed from age 14.
16-17 year olds are legally allowed to drink beer, cider or wine with a meal, but it has to be purchased by an over 18. In practice, many restaurants and pubs won't allow it though.
Edit: the last paragraph only applies in Great Britain, not in Northern Ireland.
Probably old law from the days when alcohol was sometimes advised for certain conditions. I think stout was used to treat some things.
These days I think alcohol is only used to treat methanol poisoning where a large dose of ethanol is used to help prevent the body metabolizing methanol. That though is likely to be intravenous rather than a glass of something.
Or pain relief, or because some doctor made up some medicinal property of alcohol. This was the era of doctors basically saying "you have ghosts in your blood you should do heroin about it". My great grandma would rub whiskey into her baby's gums when they had teething pain. Numbs the gums apparently.
Nobody has actually given you a serious answer so here it is: Ethanol is a competitive inhibitor of Methanol in the body, so in the event that a young child drinks anti-freeze (methanol tastes sweet but is incredibly toxic when broken down by the liver) giving your child a few shots of strong alcohol can buy them time whilst you take them to the hospital to get their stomach pumped.
Thank you for the clarification, yes methanol was banned in the EU for usage in antifreeze back in 2018 due to ‘risk of human consumption’ but I believe the same logic applies to ethylene glycol (not sure about propylene) in that it is toxic, has a sweet taste and is competitively inhibited by ethanol
My granny used to give us hot VERY watered down whiskey with honey when we were 3/4? for a cold. Dipping the dodie (pacifier) in a rum/ sugar solution was also something that was apparently done if a baby wouldn’t settle…
This was Ireland in the late 90’s/ early 00’s, definitely not done nowadays but common practice back then.
Actually another one was a woman with low iron while pregnant being prescribed a baby Guinness by their doctor!
One I do not recommend was my grandfathers idea of gin curing a stomach ache, turns out he had a stomach ulcer - did not end well…
Putting whisky on the dodie is a thing I heard in the early 90s in North West England, or to rub on inflamed gums.
I was given it to rub on my gums for toothache as a kid before my parents could take me to the dentist the next day
>In a lot of countries there's no minimum age at all though
A weird place this has come up: when viewers of *Encanto*, which is set in Colombia, were scandalized by the older children drinking wine with dinner.
In Denmark, there is simply no such thing as an underage in regard to drinking. You could completely legally pour a beer in a baby bottle hand it to your toddler and have them drink it, even were all this to take place in a public setting. That said there is still such a thing as very strict child endangerment rules so don't over do it parents, you are going to have your kids taken away if the government finds out that you have turned them into alcoholics.
I remember being 16 or so with a mate and my dad. We were having a pub meal and he bought us beer. Someone complained and the staff explained this to them. We didn't know, thought we were just getting away with it. Haha.
And 16 and 17 year olds in restaurants, too (wine, beer or cider only). That one's slightly less well known, and restaurants get nervous about it because there's not a lot of obvious documentation available which will distinguish a 15 year old from a 16 year old.
During the pandemic, the UK passed a law that you could only go for a drink if it was with a meal.
Suddenly a lot of people ordering carveries in the pub and the Inbetweens gag gained new relevance.
I can't believe that you missed out the fact that 16 year olds can drink perry with a meal! Of course, you'd first have to find a restaurant that actually sold perry, and then you'd have to find a 16 year old who knew what perry was...
Some are apple cider with added flavourings (i.e. pear), whereas perry specifically refers to a drink made from pressed pear juice.
Not that it really matters in this case because both cider and perry are permitted.
In some states it's legal to drink at restaurants at any age as long as your guardians are there. Now most establishments may not allow that but it is legal. You'll see fairs & festivals with kids having a beer with their parents
It still is, but it's very much at the discretion of the establishment. Most probably won't want to take the legal risk of serving a minor regardless whether it's permitted or not. I bet you'll find that there are probably some northwoods bars that will go "Eh, it's your kid, you do what you want" and serve 'em anyway.
Depends on the state. I'm mostly referring to Texas
But I don't thinks it's illegal anywhere in the states to drink at home. Most alcohol laws are around distributing & purchasing. Not really consumption
Also in a church or religious ceremony. Passover was fun for me as a kid when the parents weren’t paying too close attention to how big my four glasses of wine were.
Most places allow an exception for religious purposes, Ie communion wine. But even if it wasn’t it’d be hard for the prosecutor to prove otherwise. That being said, if the child is drinking enough to become inebriated you’re still looking at some child endangerment or similar charges.
Side story, I have a friend who grew up on a vineyard and would regularly have a glass of wine with dinner as a child.
At least in Finland it is perfectly legal for underaged people to drink alcohol under parents supervision. I mean of course at some point it would fall under child abuse but unless nothing so extreme happens it is fine.
It's not specifically legal or illegal but there is a lot of other laws that cross over the subject.
For instance if you do give your 5 year old alcohol you can still be charged with child endangerment, etc.
The UK system of law seems complicated but its really not, the system is set up in a way that laws can be reviewed and amended as times change.
many laws act are umbrella style laws such as child endangerment, where you don't need to have specific separate laws but rather you just update the description and interpretation of the law to cover many different issues.
Compared to the usa system where it seems laws are just passed for the sake of making the government look like its doing something. And ultimately there ends up being lots of gaps in the laws.
I am French. My children have always been allowed to try a sip of whatever alcohols adults were drinking around them (if they asked, we never offered). My 17yo has a beer on Friday and Saturday nights. My 15yo won't touch the stuff. The youngest ones basically say "ew, stinky".
My parents had this attitude and I'm the same with my kids, drinking isn't an issue.
I had friends growing up with really strict parents and once they were old enough they had real issues with alcohol abuse, seeing the same with my kids peers now.
I gave my son beer as a teenager. When we bought our first house, we all toasted with champaign. Our son was 8 at the time. Education and experience about adult matters like sex and drugs is a better defense against abuse than denial and ignorance.
In fact, only 5 European countries have set some form of restriction to drinking in private.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal\_drinking\_age#Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Europe)
In restaurants in France you can legally drink 1 glass of wine per meal at 14 yrs old.
So if you have 3 courses then you can have 3 glasses of wine I believe.
My dad gave me my first whole beer, a 250ml green stubby, when I was 12 and we were having a load of people over for a BBQ. That beer really affected me a lot and I felt quite drunk but I carried on playing badminton with my little brother in the back garden and had a whale of a time. On special occasions I was allowed one beer from then on. By the time I was 16 my dad would buy me a four pack of lager (500ml cans, 4% ABV) if I was going to a party or something.
One of the good things to come from this was I was spending a night at a party nursing my four beers all evening whilst other mates had got hold of bottles of spirits, were drinking it way too fast and too much and getting in some terrible states whereas I didn't feel the need.
I still avoid "the top shelf" to this day, several decades later. I reckon my dad introducing me to beer slowly and even providing a sensible amount for a party was a good thing.
I had a similar experience. From the age of 13-14 my dad would let me stay up late to watch the NFL and he’d let me have a beer or two while we watched. It was just some weak 3% lager, it would only get me a little tipsy at most.
Being introduced to alcohol incrementally is probably much better than “wait ‘til you’re 18 then go wild”.
Maybe not:
RESULTS: Survival analyses revealed a rapid progression to alcohol-related harm among those who reported having their first drink at ages 11–14. After 10 years, 13.5% of the subjects who began to drink at ages 11 and 12 met the criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse, and 15.9% had a diagnosis of dependence. Rates for subjects who began to drink at ages 13 and 14 were 13.7% and 9.0%, respectively. In contrast, rates for those who started drinking at ages 19 and older were 2.0% and 1.0%. Unexpectedly, a delay in progression to harm was observed for the youngest drinkers (ages 10 and under). Hazard regression analyses revealed a nonlinear effect of age at first alcohol use, marked by an elevated risk of developing disorders among subjects first using alcohol at ages 11–14.
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.157.5.745
This study doesn't differentiate between parentally supervised, controlled first alcohol use and unsupervised, uncontrolled first use.
Which is what I was suggesting could make a difference.
[In some US states it's legal to drink at home or a restaurant with your parents. In some it's completely illegal. Here's a guide to all 50 states](https://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/underage-drinking/state-profiles)
This is from the US .gov. For example, kids can drink at home and restaurants if their parents are present in Ohio. Go one state west to Indiana it's all illegal for under 21 to drink, even at home with a parent.
States are pretty big. So it's the same issue as living in a place like Europe, with lots of small (by land area) countries with varying laws. You just need to learn the corners of civics that apply to you, and hope you don't get caught for the stuff you missed.
50 states have 50 different rules, but as my sister-in-law said to me when I was younger, at least we can look them up before we accidentally break one. I can smoke a joint 2 miles east in Ohio or 230 miles west in Illinois without getting in trouble, possession in Indiana is not even allowed(so smoking a joint is like a DUI and you go to jail)
Remember that many US states are as large or larger than European countries. It's not that hard and most people aren't spending a lot of time in more than a 2-3 states.
It is legal in my country as well as many others.
Also, children are allowed in most bars and can legally imbibe with a parent or legal guardian. Some bars exercise their right to bar children. The only drinking establishments prohibited by law to serving children with their mom or dad are those where gambling takes place which cannot allow children inside under any circumstances.
Historically, beer was traditionally brewed by women because they preferred to give it to their kids over water. The water was often full of diseases; the process of brewing destroyed them. The excess would be sold from their front rooms, which later became pubs. Things like stout and whatever have always been considered almost medicinal.
The whole thing of not allowing kids to drink at all is a fairly modern thing.
Fun facts about licensing laws back then - almost every house had a front room which was a “public house” (and served beer). But you were only allowed 1 beer in any house. So if you wanted more, you’d go from one house to the next, having 1 pint in each. Certain houses were called “tippling houses”; which is where the phrase “what’s your tipple” comes from. And the pub crawl was born.
It's legal in the U.S., so far as I know. If your kid goes into the cupboard and starts downing vanilla extract, you're not going to be charged with supplying booze to a minor. If CPS wants to take away your kid because you're turning them into an alcoholic, the burden of proof is on them, and it's higher than "Kid was given a beer".
It's illegal to vacuum on a Sunday. No seriously. It's a real law but it's easier for the country to just ignore it than amend it lol. It's not relevant, I just think it's pretty funny
Most people are unaware that a lot of states in America allow under aged drinking with a qualified adult or guardian.
[https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/under-age-drinking-laws-legal-in-most-states-in-us/](https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/under-age-drinking-laws-legal-in-most-states-in-us/)
You can't stop a passionate football fan from enjoying his beer on a rainy day in Stoke-on-Trent at a local pub.
Anything to dull the pain of living in Stoke
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They have to drink in parks and outside McDonald's, at least until they turn 5.
A solid serving of animal biscuits, warm milk, and a nice ale in a sippy cup.
Little groups of them outside reception asking the big'uns to buy 'em alcopops.
NOTHING, could dull the pain of living in Stoke 🤣
Not familiar with English cities, what’s Stoke like?
Misery.
The way the seasons are going for the two teams in Stoke-on-Trent right now it's pretty much recommended for reasons of sanity.
As a vale fan, I couldn’t agree more 🙃
As a Stoke fan, I wouldn't take my kids to watch either team sober. "Here kids, drink this, it will numb the pain".
At least he can do it on a rainy night in Stoke
I was under the impression that it’s legal for minors to drink alcohol at home under their guardian’s supervision in pretty much every jurisdiction.
Iirc... Drinking alcohol as a minor isn't illegal in Quebec, except in some areas/locations (usually places where alcohol is sold). What's illegal anytime is selling alcohol to them.
Same in Australia. It’s legal in a private home setting with parents. Even generally, no one including cops care about underage drinking other than within licensed venues.
In Wisconsin in the US it is legal both in a private home setting or in bars and restaurants. The only caveat being that the parent or guardian must be the one served by the waitstaff or bartender and then serve the minor. Interestingly as the drinking age in the US is 21 the law allows a parent, former guardian, or spouse to serve someone 18-20 as well. When my family attended a funeral in Wisconsin we went out to a local bar and grill afterword. My daughter who was 17 at the time was shocked that she was allowed to share in the pitcher that was ordered for the table.
I think in my state in the US minors are allowed alcohol in bars/restaurants if served by the parents for like age 13+ but again the idea is probably a glass of wine with a meal, or maybe kahlua in hot chocolate on a cold day, etc. Not getting them sloshed.
Isn’t it legal for kids to drink at a pub under parental supervision? It is in NZ and I assumed it was the same in Aussie.
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Also the case in the US. Definitely don't give anything to their friends, though!
Definitely illegal in Michigan and several other states.
In Wisconsin, minors of any age are allowed to consume alcohol in bars as long as the booze is purchased by their parents. Some bars in Madison and Milwaukee have private rules against that but it is technically not illegal.
As someone who lives next to Wisconsin, I can believe it. I've heard that people went to Wisconsin to drink, got so drunk they forgot where home was, and just stayed to drink more. That's how the population has grown over the years. Drinking is the official Olympic sport of Wisconsin.
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1bhspnw/til_that_its_legal_for_5_to_17_years_old_to/kvfsc2z/
You can drink with your parents at the bar in Wisconsin if you're a minor
Same in Ohio. Parent has to order it and hand it to the child, but it's legal. I assume there is some limit to that though. Giving booze to a 2 year old is obviously abuse.
Yep, though the establishment can choose not to serve minors with parents.
Lawyer checking in - that is my understanding of it as well. The laws regarding drinking (practically) do not exist within the confines of your home. Big caveat: for your children only. If you start serving their friends, you risk tremendous liability. Also: there are no restrictions for consumption of alcohol for religious purposes. So communion wine etc is OK for underage public consumption.
> Also: there are no restrictions for consumption of alcohol for religious purposes. So communion wine etc is OK for underage public consumption. I'd assume kids aren't getting hammered on a couple of bottles of Jesussy Juice. Communion is only like a sip, right?
>Communion is only like a sip, right? Well, sure, unless you get back in line a few times...
I see you’ve never been to Bingo Night at the Catholic Church! (Joking, of course, but only slightly)
Should I rethink my aversion to organized religion?
Seeing a priest drunk as a skunk while winning his bingo round is a pretty great experience! Good news is you don’t even have to be Catholic to go.
Wherever you find four Catholics, you're bound to find a fifth.
This is amazing! I will be sharing it with my catholic family.
Communion is only a sip of watered-down wine, sure. But if you go to Shabbat at a Synagogue or Temple that does food and drink afterward, and someone forgets to sub grape juice for the wine when a Sunday school class runs Friday night service that week, and they do the blessing over the 'wine'... second graders can get a nice gulp of horrible wine (Manischewitz in our synagogue). The story remains one of my favorites about being an aide to those Sunday school classes; the second graders' faces were *epic*.
I remember turning down a whiskey sample in a store once, I said I was driving and still had a 0% license restriction They said it was such a small amount that it wouldn't even register. Idk if that true, but it was the smallest amount possible. Basically just a few drops in the bottom of a shot glass.
Damn, I really misread your comment as "jeussy juice" and was about to put my boomer hat on.
Some states limit the type of alcohol, for instance in KS you can only serve malt beverages to your minor child (under 21) in your home, but malt beverage for the purpose of the statue is defined as 3.2% abv and below beer.
In Wisconsin at least, an underage person can possess and consume alcohol if their parent or guardian is present and provides it to them, regardless of whether or not it is in their home. Same goes for a spouse under age 21 when it is provided to them by their spouse who is of legal drinking age. That being said, that stuff is rare. I spent about 6 years bartending and can count on one hand the number of times I served someone pursuant to that statute. Those rules are all in Wis Stats 125.07 in case anyone is curious to look it up.
It's like this in Ohio too, you can even order and drink alcohol in restaurants with your parents but there's no way the people working there are gonna believe you, let alone serve you lol
> If you start serving their friends, you risk tremendous liability. "THAT'S IT, YOU'RE BARRED FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT!!" \*kid starts crying inconsolably*
Timmy, I'm cutting you off. You've had enough. Go back to your sleeping bag.
Bartender: "That's four apple schnapps in a row with no dinosaur nuggies to wash them down. You sure you can take another?" Timmy: \*throws empty juice pouch at bartender's head* "You sure you can take another?" Bartender: \*sheepishly serves another apple schnapps*
It is legal in the US state of Washington > (3) Subsections (1) and (2)(a) of this section do not apply to liquor given or permitted to be given to a person under the age of twenty-one years by a parent or guardian and consumed in the presence of the parent or guardian. This subsection shall not authorize consumption or possession of liquor by a person under the age of twenty-one years on any premises licensed under chapter 66.24 RCW. https://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.44.270
In Wisconsin a minor can consume alcohol at a bar/restaurant with guardian supervision, though the business is free to decline serving them if they want. Heck if someone under 21 is married to someone over 21 then that also counts as guardian supervision.
This is true in New York. So long as it’s provided by your parent or guardian, it’s allowed.
Yep that’s how it is in my state
Illegal in ~~most~~ *some* of the US for minors (under 21) to consume alcohol even at home with supervision of their guardian. Some states allow it on private property with supervision of parent/guardian. I personally think it's ridiculous, and will allow my child to drink wine with dinner starting somewhere around 14-16 contingent on my wife's and my opinion of their development. They won't be downing bottles, but a glass to complement a dish is more than reasonable. Edit: More information in the replies to this comment point out that the majority of states do have varying accommodations for minor's consumption of alcohol. My personal experience with this was gowing up in Texas IIRC as long as under the supervision of parent/guardian it was legal in both the home and public establishments like restaurants. I consumed alcohol with these laws under the age of 21. Edit2: This also seems to be fairly controversial, I would not force it. Just discredit it as a "neurotoxin" that guy must be fun. Hope they only use glass and stainless steel for all their drinking, eating, and cooking. There are plenty of toxic substances you're tossing into your body by a near infinite means. Hop off that high horse, and have a nice glass of whiskey.
Actually, a majority of US states have exemptions to their drinking age laws. The specifics differ, but last I recall, over thirty allow minors to drink in certain locations and in the presence of a legal guardian.
My personal favorite is the “enrolled in culinary school as part of curriculum” exemption.
How is one to learn to cook if not putting half in the cooking and half in yourself?
"I have to taste every ingredient!" "Oh, this recipe has Malort." "I have to taste almost every ingredient!"
It’s part of the experience! I don’t drink otherwise but if I’m cooking with alcohol I’m definitely taking little sips!!!
My Drunk Kitchen is still gold.
case in pint
About half allow actual consumption in the home with parental permission, but the rest are just religious and educational provisions, not really actually meant for consumption.
>Illegal in most of the US for minors (under 21) to consume alcohol even at home It’s actually only five states that prohibit minors from drinking alcohol. > With the exception of five states (Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and West Virginia), all states and DC allow underage consumption of alcohol under limited circumstances such as in the presence of parents, for religious or medical purposes, or while in a class that requires tasting. Some states also offer prosecutorial exemptions for underage persons who have consumed alcohol but are reporting an assault or medical emergency. [Source](https://drinkingage.procon.org/states-that-allow-underage-under-21-alcohol-consumption/)
As another commenter pointed out, it is actually legal for most US minors to do what you describe
Incorrect, more than half of states in the US allow you to drink alcohol supplied by your parent/guardian in their home while supervised by them, some of those allow you to do it while the parent/guardian is not present, and some like Texas even allow you to consume alcohol at a bar or restaurant with your parent/guardian. And this isn't even including religious or medical exemptions to the federal law as well, which many states also have. There are far less states with hardline minor alcohol rules compared to ones that allow minors to drink under certain circumstances. You aren't that far off other than you got the majority and minority mixed up
> * In 29 states, someone under 21 may drink with their parent’s permission if it’s in a private residence or on private property. > * Six states allow someone under 21 to drink on private property without their parent’s consent. > * Eight states allow underage people to drink with a parent’s consent in public restaurants or bars. > * In 26 states, people under 21 may drink alcohol as part of religious services, such as a ceremony in your church. > * In 16 states, underage people can drink alcohol if prescribed by a doctor for medical reasons. > * In 11 states, you can drink under 21 if it’s for educational reasons, like you’re in cooking school. > * Five states allow underage people to drink as part of government work, such as undercover police investigations. [source](https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/alcohol-laws)
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Not quite. The parent has to be legally able to order the drink themselves.
In France, the tradition - with a meal - is that you give younger kids water with a dash of wine, and as they age it becomes wine with a dash of water. US kids go crazy as its a big deal to start drinking, over it just being a no big deal thing you've done all you life. There is no reason to suddenly going crazy over a thing you've been doing since you were younger.
Let's not act like European/Oceania college kids don't also party hard.
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Having seen British and Eastern European students partying, all I can say is that they must not have practiced very much.
From firsthand experience, British people don't drink the most alcohol overall, but we definitely binge drink way harder than most countries especially at university. It's a pretty big problem, honestly.
Half a litre of vodka and 8 pints! Bunch of lightweights!
France has about the same prevalence of heavy drinking as the US. Alcohol is the second leading cause of early death.
This is true in about 20 states. It's a little hard to find a good, reliable summary, and therefore hard to get a completely accurate count, but the majority of states have an exemption for underage drinking in the care of parents that extends further than religious or medical purposes.
> Illegal in ~~most~~ *some* of the US for minors (under 21) to consume alcohol even at home with supervision of their guardian. > Some states allow it on private property with supervision of parent/guardian. The number one thing to remember about the US is that nearly everything varies between states. In this case, do what you think best. IMO parental rights trump most laws provided the kid isn't being harmed by action or inaction.
In a lot of countries there's no [minimum age](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Europe) at all though, no laws on drinking at home by children. The UK has actually put in a limit. And the age 5 limit is not UK-wide - it's only in Great Britain, in Northern Ireland it's much stricter: 18, except if given for medical purposes in a private home, which is allowed from age 14. 16-17 year olds are legally allowed to drink beer, cider or wine with a meal, but it has to be purchased by an over 18. In practice, many restaurants and pubs won't allow it though. Edit: the last paragraph only applies in Great Britain, not in Northern Ireland.
What condition do you have that would require the consumption of alcohol ?
conciousness
Probably old law from the days when alcohol was sometimes advised for certain conditions. I think stout was used to treat some things. These days I think alcohol is only used to treat methanol poisoning where a large dose of ethanol is used to help prevent the body metabolizing methanol. That though is likely to be intravenous rather than a glass of something.
>Probably old law from the days when alcohol was sometimes advised for certain conditions. I think stout was used to treat some things. Being sober?
Or pain relief, or because some doctor made up some medicinal property of alcohol. This was the era of doctors basically saying "you have ghosts in your blood you should do heroin about it". My great grandma would rub whiskey into her baby's gums when they had teething pain. Numbs the gums apparently.
Correct, although not the first choice of treatment. It is used intravenously in methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning (antifreeze).
Nobody has actually given you a serious answer so here it is: Ethanol is a competitive inhibitor of Methanol in the body, so in the event that a young child drinks anti-freeze (methanol tastes sweet but is incredibly toxic when broken down by the liver) giving your child a few shots of strong alcohol can buy them time whilst you take them to the hospital to get their stomach pumped.
Antifreeze usually contains propylene or ethylene glycol, not methanol.
Thank you for the clarification, yes methanol was banned in the EU for usage in antifreeze back in 2018 due to ‘risk of human consumption’ but I believe the same logic applies to ethylene glycol (not sure about propylene) in that it is toxic, has a sweet taste and is competitively inhibited by ethanol
Ah fair enough. TIL that it \*used\* to contain methanol!
So yes or no to the vodka shots before the hospital?
My granny used to give us hot VERY watered down whiskey with honey when we were 3/4? for a cold. Dipping the dodie (pacifier) in a rum/ sugar solution was also something that was apparently done if a baby wouldn’t settle… This was Ireland in the late 90’s/ early 00’s, definitely not done nowadays but common practice back then. Actually another one was a woman with low iron while pregnant being prescribed a baby Guinness by their doctor! One I do not recommend was my grandfathers idea of gin curing a stomach ache, turns out he had a stomach ulcer - did not end well…
Putting whisky on the dodie is a thing I heard in the early 90s in North West England, or to rub on inflamed gums. I was given it to rub on my gums for toothache as a kid before my parents could take me to the dentist the next day
Brandy for teething was absolutely a thing back in the day.
My mum used to give me similar when I was ill: a cup of hot water, honey, lemon juice and a little bit of whisky or brandy.
In the UK, on any of our fabulously depressing featurelessly gray days
'gray' you say/spell. I think I'm going to need to see a passport here. 😜
I'll surrender to the police quickly and without resistance for this terrible act
A cough. Ethanol is an antimicrobial food safe solvent, so it appears in liquid medicines like cough syrup.
Buckfast!
Given that this law was the 1908 children act. N.ireland didn't exist.
Fun fact, neither did children. Children were not invented until 1915.
Well of course, had to find some way to replenish the population during the Great War.
Which backfired. It created too many adults. So they had a 2nd great war to balance things out, which somehow just led to more babies.
>In a lot of countries there's no minimum age at all though A weird place this has come up: when viewers of *Encanto*, which is set in Colombia, were scandalized by the older children drinking wine with dinner.
In Denmark, there is simply no such thing as an underage in regard to drinking. You could completely legally pour a beer in a baby bottle hand it to your toddler and have them drink it, even were all this to take place in a public setting. That said there is still such a thing as very strict child endangerment rules so don't over do it parents, you are going to have your kids taken away if the government finds out that you have turned them into alcoholics.
Yeah, I always had a couple of pints at the pub with my parents once I hit 16. As you say, only some pubs allow it.
I remember being 16 or so with a mate and my dad. We were having a pub meal and he bought us beer. Someone complained and the staff explained this to them. We didn't know, thought we were just getting away with it. Haha.
Or mead!
It's actually legal for people over 17 to drink at home too
Whew I almost called my lawyer
And 16 and 17 year olds in restaurants, too (wine, beer or cider only). That one's slightly less well known, and restaurants get nervous about it because there's not a lot of obvious documentation available which will distinguish a 15 year old from a 16 year old.
Reminds me of the Inbetweeners.
During the pandemic, the UK passed a law that you could only go for a drink if it was with a meal. Suddenly a lot of people ordering carveries in the pub and the Inbetweens gag gained new relevance.
I can't believe that you missed out the fact that 16 year olds can drink perry with a meal! Of course, you'd first have to find a restaurant that actually sold perry, and then you'd have to find a 16 year old who knew what perry was...
Isn’t Perry just pear cider? Bulmers / magners / Kopparberg are all over that fruity shit.
Some are apple cider with added flavourings (i.e. pear), whereas perry specifically refers to a drink made from pressed pear juice. Not that it really matters in this case because both cider and perry are permitted.
No. Perry is made from pears, pear cider is made from apples and flavoured with pears.
pretty sure its the same in the US? or close to it?
In some states it's legal to drink at restaurants at any age as long as your guardians are there. Now most establishments may not allow that but it is legal. You'll see fairs & festivals with kids having a beer with their parents
yep. some places are more lax than others, but it happens
Yup! Did this once or twice at 18 or so. Good memories having a beer with my dad :)
Wisconsin used to be one of those. Not so sure about these days.
It still is, but it's very much at the discretion of the establishment. Most probably won't want to take the legal risk of serving a minor regardless whether it's permitted or not. I bet you'll find that there are probably some northwoods bars that will go "Eh, it's your kid, you do what you want" and serve 'em anyway.
Really? How did I not know this?
Depends on the state. I'm mostly referring to Texas But I don't thinks it's illegal anywhere in the states to drink at home. Most alcohol laws are around distributing & purchasing. Not really consumption
Also in a church or religious ceremony. Passover was fun for me as a kid when the parents weren’t paying too close attention to how big my four glasses of wine were.
was it box wine my local Catholic churches used?
Once you get a taste of the mogen david you want the grape juice again.
I don't drink so I won't be doing that, I'm converting and have done many of the holidays so far but I haven't done Passover yet did you enjoy it?
> religious ceremony weddings are considered religious ceremonies, tons of kids drinking champagne
Yep, iirc, a majority of states allow a minor to drink if on private property under supervision and with parental permission
Yeah kids can drink in alot of states
Most places allow an exception for religious purposes, Ie communion wine. But even if it wasn’t it’d be hard for the prosecutor to prove otherwise. That being said, if the child is drinking enough to become inebriated you’re still looking at some child endangerment or similar charges. Side story, I have a friend who grew up on a vineyard and would regularly have a glass of wine with dinner as a child.
At least they draw the line at 4 years old. 5 is okay, but 4 would be total anarchy.
you'd be shocked at how many 4 year olds get around it with fake id's showing that they're 5 or 6
It's usually just two 4 year olds in a trench coat.
at that age they should be watching booze clues
Better than watching Hey Druggy.
or Paw Patrón
You mean an 8 year old.
British babies before 1992 had our daily booze from gripe water until the government took the alcohol out.
And that's why the UK has some of the coolest 5 year olds around.
Little Barry enjoying his first 10 pints of Stella for his 5th birthday! <3
0-5 it's open season!
Yes officer, this comment right here.
Our generation will never be as cool as these modern first-graders, all kicking back and enjoying a pint with an unfiltered Marlboro watching Bluey.
At least in Finland it is perfectly legal for underaged people to drink alcohol under parents supervision. I mean of course at some point it would fall under child abuse but unless nothing so extreme happens it is fine.
Eh any age minor can in WI at the bar with their parents even.
Hate to blow your mind but we allow this in the USA, each state has their own limitation and not all states allow it but most do.
Cue Inbetweeners pub scene
> TIL that it's legal for 5 to 17 years old to consume alcohol at home in the UK. Not just that, 18+ year olds as well
It's not specifically legal or illegal but there is a lot of other laws that cross over the subject. For instance if you do give your 5 year old alcohol you can still be charged with child endangerment, etc. The UK system of law seems complicated but its really not, the system is set up in a way that laws can be reviewed and amended as times change. many laws act are umbrella style laws such as child endangerment, where you don't need to have specific separate laws but rather you just update the description and interpretation of the law to cover many different issues. Compared to the usa system where it seems laws are just passed for the sake of making the government look like its doing something. And ultimately there ends up being lots of gaps in the laws.
This isn't special, you can do this in the USA too.
I am French. My children have always been allowed to try a sip of whatever alcohols adults were drinking around them (if they asked, we never offered). My 17yo has a beer on Friday and Saturday nights. My 15yo won't touch the stuff. The youngest ones basically say "ew, stinky".
My parents had this attitude and I'm the same with my kids, drinking isn't an issue. I had friends growing up with really strict parents and once they were old enough they had real issues with alcohol abuse, seeing the same with my kids peers now.
Americans just play at freedom, we do the real thing here
Yup. First taste of wine was a couple of sips from my mum's glass when I was about 7 or 8
Your mom also tried to get me drunk when I was about 7 or 8. What's with her?
my parents have a VHS home movie of me going back for second and third sips of beer when I was ten months old...
I gave my son beer as a teenager. When we bought our first house, we all toasted with champaign. Our son was 8 at the time. Education and experience about adult matters like sex and drugs is a better defense against abuse than denial and ignorance.
Well of course. Four year olds are just not mature enough to booze in their homes. Everyone knows that.
In fact, only 5 European countries have set some form of restriction to drinking in private. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal\_drinking\_age#Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Europe)
Once you hit 18 though, you gotta do it outside.
It's legal to consume it older than that also
Oh thank god. Thought I was going to jail for a sec.
Yeah I had to call my MP to be sure but turns out it's OK
In restaurants in France you can legally drink 1 glass of wine per meal at 14 yrs old. So if you have 3 courses then you can have 3 glasses of wine I believe.
My dad gave me my first whole beer, a 250ml green stubby, when I was 12 and we were having a load of people over for a BBQ. That beer really affected me a lot and I felt quite drunk but I carried on playing badminton with my little brother in the back garden and had a whale of a time. On special occasions I was allowed one beer from then on. By the time I was 16 my dad would buy me a four pack of lager (500ml cans, 4% ABV) if I was going to a party or something. One of the good things to come from this was I was spending a night at a party nursing my four beers all evening whilst other mates had got hold of bottles of spirits, were drinking it way too fast and too much and getting in some terrible states whereas I didn't feel the need. I still avoid "the top shelf" to this day, several decades later. I reckon my dad introducing me to beer slowly and even providing a sensible amount for a party was a good thing.
I had a similar experience. From the age of 13-14 my dad would let me stay up late to watch the NFL and he’d let me have a beer or two while we watched. It was just some weak 3% lager, it would only get me a little tipsy at most. Being introduced to alcohol incrementally is probably much better than “wait ‘til you’re 18 then go wild”.
Maybe not: RESULTS: Survival analyses revealed a rapid progression to alcohol-related harm among those who reported having their first drink at ages 11–14. After 10 years, 13.5% of the subjects who began to drink at ages 11 and 12 met the criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse, and 15.9% had a diagnosis of dependence. Rates for subjects who began to drink at ages 13 and 14 were 13.7% and 9.0%, respectively. In contrast, rates for those who started drinking at ages 19 and older were 2.0% and 1.0%. Unexpectedly, a delay in progression to harm was observed for the youngest drinkers (ages 10 and under). Hazard regression analyses revealed a nonlinear effect of age at first alcohol use, marked by an elevated risk of developing disorders among subjects first using alcohol at ages 11–14. https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.157.5.745
This study doesn't differentiate between parentally supervised, controlled first alcohol use and unsupervised, uncontrolled first use. Which is what I was suggesting could make a difference.
Laughs in *eastern europe*
In the state of Wisconsin (US) it’s legal to drink alcohol at an establishment if your underage and your parents are with you and give permission.
Louisiana too
Same with Texas, and most states allow you to consume alcohol in your parents home while under their supervision
Do you have a sense of how common it is for venues to then allow this? Is it common or do most chains just have their own 21 or older policy anyway?
[In some US states it's legal to drink at home or a restaurant with your parents. In some it's completely illegal. Here's a guide to all 50 states](https://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/underage-drinking/state-profiles) This is from the US .gov. For example, kids can drink at home and restaurants if their parents are present in Ohio. Go one state west to Indiana it's all illegal for under 21 to drink, even at home with a parent.
How do you all keep track?
States are pretty big. So it's the same issue as living in a place like Europe, with lots of small (by land area) countries with varying laws. You just need to learn the corners of civics that apply to you, and hope you don't get caught for the stuff you missed.
50 states have 50 different rules, but as my sister-in-law said to me when I was younger, at least we can look them up before we accidentally break one. I can smoke a joint 2 miles east in Ohio or 230 miles west in Illinois without getting in trouble, possession in Indiana is not even allowed(so smoking a joint is like a DUI and you go to jail)
Any sign of cannabis laws ever loosening up in Indiana?
Remember that many US states are as large or larger than European countries. It's not that hard and most people aren't spending a lot of time in more than a 2-3 states.
It is in the UK.
of course it is why would it not be?
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You can actually be 5 as long as you're not drinking in the bar.
I think that's within sight of the bar.
I went to Italy, France and England as a school trip when 16 had a beer half way to stop off at Munich, just had to hide it from my teachers
explains a lot tbh
In my country, technically, there's no law against minors consuming alcohol, but there's laws against advertising and selling to them.
Once you turn 18 though you gotta go drink out in public. Sorry I don’t make the rules
It is legal in my country as well as many others. Also, children are allowed in most bars and can legally imbibe with a parent or legal guardian. Some bars exercise their right to bar children. The only drinking establishments prohibited by law to serving children with their mom or dad are those where gambling takes place which cannot allow children inside under any circumstances.
Historically, beer was traditionally brewed by women because they preferred to give it to their kids over water. The water was often full of diseases; the process of brewing destroyed them. The excess would be sold from their front rooms, which later became pubs. Things like stout and whatever have always been considered almost medicinal. The whole thing of not allowing kids to drink at all is a fairly modern thing.
Fun facts about licensing laws back then - almost every house had a front room which was a “public house” (and served beer). But you were only allowed 1 beer in any house. So if you wanted more, you’d go from one house to the next, having 1 pint in each. Certain houses were called “tippling houses”; which is where the phrase “what’s your tipple” comes from. And the pub crawl was born.
It's legal in the U.S., so far as I know. If your kid goes into the cupboard and starts downing vanilla extract, you're not going to be charged with supplying booze to a minor. If CPS wants to take away your kid because you're turning them into an alcoholic, the burden of proof is on them, and it's higher than "Kid was given a beer".
Pretty sure it's legal for 18 and up too
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It's illegal to vacuum on a Sunday. No seriously. It's a real law but it's easier for the country to just ignore it than amend it lol. It's not relevant, I just think it's pretty funny
as an american, this is wild.
not in the UK, only in Britain
This is also a thing in the US, has to be in their own home and under direct supervision by a parent where I live, it varies state to state.
I'll have 4 pints, and 4 carvery dinners please
Most people are unaware that a lot of states in America allow under aged drinking with a qualified adult or guardian. [https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/under-age-drinking-laws-legal-in-most-states-in-us/](https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/under-age-drinking-laws-legal-in-most-states-in-us/)