Drinking Age

Drinking ages vary from state to state in the United States and from country to country throughout the world. Typically, underage drinkers drink in secret, getting high before they go out. Underage drinking is a continuing problem because the younger people start drinking, the greater the health effects.

About Drinking Age

The legal drinking age refers to the earliest age that an individual is legally allowed to buy alcoholic beverages. This is often different from the age at which they may be permitted to drink alcohol. In some countries the drinking age differs between public and private, or within bars and without. Different laws can also apply to different types of spirits (beer, wine, hard liquor, etc).

The legal drinking age varies around the world. In Europe people may sometimes be allowed to consume alcoholic beverages from childhood within the privacy of their own home. In some states in India, however, the drinking age can be as high as 28. Some states have no age limits to drinking, while some Islamic nations prohibit Muslims, and sometimes all people, from consuming alcohol at any age.

Some examples of the minimum drinking ages around the world:

No Minimum Drinking Age-
Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Fiji, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Georgia, Thailand, Viet Nam

Age 16 -
Antigua, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Switzerland

Age 18 -
Argentina, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Chile, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg (age 17 with an adult), Mexico, Mongolia, Philippines, Russia, Slovak Republic, South Africa, United Kingdom (age 16 in restaurants), Uruguay, Australia, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada (age 19 in some provinces), Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Lithuania, Malaysia, Moldova, New Zealand, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela

Age 19 -
South Korea

Age 20 -
Japan, Iceland

Age 21 -
United States

Created by vickiz

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