Minimum age at which a person can legally purchase or consume alcoholic beverages
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Legal drinking age" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(July 2023)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
Minimum legal age to purchase alcohol by country:
Prohibited
25 or older
25 (supervised drinking/fermented alcoholic beverages from the age of 21)
21
21 (supervised drinking/fermented alcoholic beverages from the age of 18)
20
20 (supervised drinking/fermented alcoholic beverages from the age of 18)
19
18
18 (supervised drinking/fermented alcoholic beverages from the age of 16)
17
16
15 or younger
No regulation/no age set
The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between countries and many laws have exemptions or special circumstances. Most laws apply only to drinking alcohol in public places with alcohol consumption in the home being mostly unregulated (one of the exceptions being England and Wales, which have a minimum legal age of five for supervised consumption in private places). Some countries also have different age limits for different types of alcohol drinks.[1]
Youth rights
Activities
Bailey v. Drexel Furniture Co.
Child Labor Deterrence Act
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
Kids Online Safety Act
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Fair Labor Standards Act
Hammer v. Dagenhart
History of youth rights in the United States
Morse v. Frederick
Newsboys' strike of 1899
Prez
Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
Wild in the Streets
Theory/concepts
Adultcentrism
Adultism
Ageism
Criminalization
Democracy
Ephebiphobia
Fear of children
Free-range parenting
Intergenerational equity
Future generations
Paternalism
Social class
Suffrage
Taking Children Seriously
Universal suffrage
Unschooling
Youth activism
Youth detention center
Youth empowerment
Youth exclusion
Youth suffrage
Youth voice
Issues
Adolescent sexuality
Age of candidacy
Age of consent
Age of consent reform
Age of majority
Age of marriage
Behavior modification facility
Child labour
Children in the military
Child marriage
Compulsory education
Conscription
Corporal punishment
at home
at school
in law
Curfew
Child abuse
Emancipation of minors
Gambling age
Homeschooling
Human rights and youth sport
In loco parentis
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile court
Juvenile law
Legal drinking age (U.S. history)
Legal working age
Minimum driving age
Marriageable age
Minor (law)
Minors and abortion
Restavec
School leaving age
Smoking age (U.S. history)
Status offense
Underage drinking in the US
Voting age
Youth-adult partnership
Youth participation
Youth politics
Youth unemployment
Youth voting
Organizations
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Akt
Americans for a Society Free from Age Restrictions
Canadian Youth for Choice
Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission
Common Cents
Community Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of Youth
DoSomething
Future Coalition
Global Youth Action Network
High School Democrats of America
Indian Youth Climate Network
International Falcon Movement – Socialist Educational International
Mermaids
National Union of Students LGBT+ Campaign
National Youth Rights Association
One World Youth Project
Queer Youth Network
Students for a Democratic Society
Freechild Project
Three O'Clock Lobby
UK Youth Parliament
Youth International Party
Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor
The Youth Cafe
Young Communist League of Canada
Young Democrats of America
World Federation of Democratic Youth
People
Fletcher
Hanson
Henry
Holt
Koroknay-Palicz
Duff
Males
Postman
Yaco
Related
Ages of consent in Asia
Ages of consent in Europe
Ages of consent in North America
Ages of consent in Oceania
Ages of consent in South America
Ages of consent in the United States
Animal rights
Anti-racism
Direct democracy
Egalitarianism
Feminism
French petition against age of consent laws
Legal status of tattooing in European countries
Legal status of tattooing in the United States
Libertarianism
Students' rights
Youth Olympic Games
Youth sports
Youth wing
Liberation theology
Communism
Socialism
Marxism
Youth rights
Society portal
v
t
e
The majority of countries have a minimum legal drinking age of 18.[2] The most commonly known reason for the law behind the legal drinking age is the effect on the brain in adolescents. Since the brain is still maturing, alcohol can have a negative effect on the memory and long-term thinking. Alongside that, it can cause liver failure, and create a hormone imbalance in teens due to the constant changes and maturing of hormones during puberty.[3] Some countries have a minimum legal drinking age of 19 to prevent the flow of alcoholic beverages in high schools,[4] while others like the United States have a minimum legal purchasing age of 21 (18 in P.R. and USVI) in an effort to reduce the amount of drunk driving rates among teenagers and young adults.[5]
^Cite error: The named reference IARD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Misachi, John (21 December 2020). "Drinking Ages Around The World". Worldatlas.com. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
^"Underage Drinking". National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. January 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
^The Impact and Effectiveness of Minimum Legal Drinking Age Legislation in Canada ccsa.ca
^"Minimum legal drinking age of 21 saves lives | CDC". 19 April 2022.
and 25 Related for: Legal drinking age information
referred to as minors. For example, if a country's age of majority is 18, but the legaldrinkingage is 21, then a 20 year old would still be considered...
The legaldrinkingage varies from country to country. In the United States, the legaldrinkingage is currently 21. To curb excessive alcohol consumption...
permitted by law to drive Gambling age, the age at which a person is permitted by law to gamble Legaldrinkingage, the age at which a person is permitted...
alcohol consumption but fix a legaldrinkingage, which ranges at different ages per region. In some states the legaldrinkingage can be different for different...
open containers of alcohol is legal all throughout the country by people of the legaldrinkingage. The legaldrinkingage depends on the beverage in question:...
states had tobacco purchase ages lower than their cannabis possession and purchase ages. Age of candidacy Legaldrinkingage Legality of cannabis List of...
regarding age minimums including, but not limited to, the age of majority, age of criminal responsibility, voting age, drinkingage, and driving age. Age of...
the minimum legalage to purchase alcohol is 21 in all U.S. states and most territories (see National Minimum DrinkingAge Act), the legal details for...
Binge drinking, or heavy episodic drinking, is drinking alcoholic beverages with an intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol...
of ages (e.g. voting age, marriageable age, age of consent, legal working age, school leaving age, legal driving age, smoking age, legaldrinkingage, age...
Minimum legaldrinkingage set at 21. Minimum legaldrinkingage lowered to 19 in 1970. Manitoba: Alcohol legalized in 1921 – Minimum legaldrinkingage set...
under the drinkingage therein as to when they can work. There is no age restriction on drinking at a private residence or on drinkingage at locations...
and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The legaldrinkingage is 18 throughout Australia. The minimum age for the purchase of alcoholic products in Australia...
The legal working age is the minimum age required by law in each country or jurisdiction for a young person who has not yet reached the age of majority...
the initial age, there may be levels of responsibility dictated by age and the type of offense committed. The legaldrinkingage is the age at which a...
professional image by using brewing craft related terms, for political or legal reasons, or to avoid potential negative connotations that may be associated...
outline of age restrictions. Age of candidacy Age of consent Age requirements in gymnastics Age segregation Defense of infancy LegaldrinkingageLegal smoking...
alcohol-related harm. This age varies between countries; for example, the legaldrinkingage for Australia is 18, whereas the legaldrinkingage in the United States...
12 seconds. Social drinking, commonly used as a synonym for responsible drinking or moderate drinking, refers to casual drinking of alcoholic beverages...
allowing time to "pre-drink" before events. With a significant minority of students below the legaldrinkingage, 18-year-olds are legally excluded from many...
Marriageable age, marriage age, or the age of marriage is the general age, a legalage or the minimum age subject to parental, religious or other forms...
blind tiger, drinking the very bad whiskey for which Prohibition is indirectly responsible. "Blind tiger" also referred to illegal drinking establishments...
2023, by Clara Johanne Selsmark Agence France-Presse (6 October 2020). "In hard-drinking Japan, alcohol-free drinks meet growing demand from the 'sober...
Global Information
