The method of calculating the legal age for alcohol is slightly different from the calculation of Korean age, where another year is added to the person`s age, while this method does not take into account the month and day of birth, but only the year. [105] The most well-known reason for the legal drinking age is the effect on the brain in adolescents. As the brain is still maturing, alcohol can have a negative effect on memory and long-term thinking. In addition, it can cause liver failure and cause hormonal imbalance in adolescents due to the constant changes and maturation of hormones during puberty. [3] Youth are also particularly at risk of injury when drinking alcohol,[4] as they may not have the necessary knowledge about low-risk drinking. In fact, public health researchers found that people`s age to drink the first full serving of alcohol was significantly related to knowledge of low-risk alcohol consumption and beverage counting. Knowledge about low-risk alcohol consumption and frequency of beverage counting increased more sharply with age at first drinking in adolescence than at the end of the period. [5] In North America, the legal drinking age and the legal purchasing age range from 18 to 21: consumption in public places, except in designated drinking areas, is prohibited regardless of age. The application of the legal drinking age also varies considerably from country to country.
And often within countries. In many countries, officials generally do not enforce the law if there is no abuse. AIM – Alcohol in Moderation, “What is the Legal Drinking Age (LDA)?”, www.aim-digest.com, January 2015 Interestingly, in Sweden, you can legally consume alcohol at home at any age, but you must be 18 to order it in a restaurant or bar, and 20 to buy it. The second most common minimum age for alcohol consumption is 18. In fact, 35% of the countries on our list follow this rule. The most common third age for drinking is listed as “illegal” and the fourth most common age is 21, just like in the United States. The U.S. is twinned with only seven other countries with a drinking age of 21 or four percent, making the U.S.
a minority. Believe it or not, the United States is not a unique country for alcohol policy. While the U.S. is known for its drinking age of 21, this strict limit of 21 is not the case for all states. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 withholds money from states that allow those under 21 to purchase alcohol. Before the law went into effect in 1984, each state had its own drinking age, which varied widely. A Country a Month, “Local Food You Should Try in Kosovo and No-Miss Drinks in Kosovo,” acountryamonth.com Retrieved July 15, 2015. In the late 20th century, much of North America changed its legal drinking age (MLDA) as follows: Manzoor Butt, “The use of illegal toxic alcohol kills hundreds of people every year in Pakistan; Primary care physicians must take a more proactive role in saving precious lives,” Middle East Journal of Business, April 2015 The most common drinking age in the world may be a bit surprising, as there are none. Almost half or 83 of the 178 countries (47%) on our list do not have a minimum drinking age.
However, many of these countries have a minimum age of purchase between 14 and 20 years. In these countries, minors of all ages can drink in the comfort of their homes, but in public they are limited. Many of these countries have age indications for ABV or alcohol by volume, as well as the type of alcohol consumed. For example, in Belgium, beers, wines and cider can be purchased at the age of 16, but spirits can only be purchased by people over the age of 18. Some countries, such as Angola in Africa, do not have a national law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors. The police may search minors in public places and confiscate or destroy alcoholic beverages in their possession. Incidents are reported to the legal guardian and child protection services, who may be involved in child protection proceedings. In addition, a fine is imposed on persons aged 15 and over. [167] People generally believe that the minimum age to consume alcohol in the United States is 21.
However, people can legally drink below this age under many different conditions. In many countries, the age at which one can legally drink is considered an important stage of life. This age has also been discussed for a long time. Should the minimum drinking age coincide with a country`s voting age, the age of conscription, the age at which you can buy a lottery ticket or rent a car? Or should it be an age in itself? The drinking age in the United States is 21, although this is not the case in all other countries or even in some states in the United States. Some countries even prefer not to impose such restrictions. The drinking age in Ireland, for example, does not exist in a private home. While 21 is the norm for most of the United States (Wisconsin if you look at it), many consumers around the world have already introduced alcohol. In fact, 64% of the world`s countries have a legal drinking age of 18. Bangladesh Benin Cambodia Cameroon Canada: Varies by province and territory from 18 to 19. China Comoros Congo Djibouti Gabon: On-site sales are limited to people aged 18 and over. Ghana Guinea-Bissau Haiti India: Varies by state from no legal sales to 25 years and older.
Indonesia: Off-site sales are limited to individuals 21 years of age and older. Lao People`s Democratic Republic: The sale of beer on site is limited to persons aged 18 and over. Mali Niue: On-site sales are limited to people aged 18 and over. Rwanda: On-site sales are limited to people aged 18 and over. Sao Tome and Principe Sierra Leone Syria Timor-Leste Togo Children`s Act Section 78 – No person shall sell, loan, give, deliver, provide or offer liquor to children under 16 years of age unless a written order given by the child`s parent or guardian is known to that person: has been signed. The police have a duty to confiscate any alcoholic beverage in the possession of a child under the age of 16 without the written consent of parents or guardians. [38] The legal drinking age varies considerably from country to country. Most of these laws apply only to the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public.
The only countries with a legal drinking age at home are England and Wales. They forbid drinking before the age of six. There are 11 countries, or 6% of our list, where any alcohol consumption is considered a violation of the law, and there are pretty severe penalties that come with it. All but three of these 11 countries are located in Asia, and many of them are Islamic countries. The average minimum age (median) for alcohol consumption worldwide is 10.3 years. Ninety-six (96) countries/possessions have a minimum drinking age of zero. And among those of higher legal drinking age, the average age is 18.6. This generally prohibits drinking “underground” when there are no responsible guidelines.