In Lithuania, it is illegal to sell, serve or provide alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 20. A state`s exemption from the MLDA may also be site-specific. Some state laws only allow minors to legally consume alcohol in a parent`s or guardian`s private home, while others only allow alcohol consumption on authorized premises accompanied by their parents, guardians, or spouses. States like Texas allow minors to drink in places licensed to sell alcohol, such as a restaurant or bar, if their parents are present and allow it. Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, which sets the legal purchasing age at 21. In the United States, there have been proposals to change the legal drinking age. They haven`t gone far with lawmakers, making it unlikely that the minimum drinking age will change anytime soon. Germany is one of the most interesting countries when it comes to the minimum drinking age. It has one of the lowest minimum drinking ages in the world, allowing teenagers to drink alcohol at the age of 14 if accompanied by an adult. The average minimum age for drinking varies around the world. It ranges from 13 in Burkina Faso to a total ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol in Brunei. Most laws only apply to alcohol consumption in public places and not to alcohol consumption in private homes. Some countries also have a minimum age for certain beverages, such as distilled alcohol.

From 1976 to 1983, several states voluntarily raised their purchasing age to 19 (or, less frequently, 20 or 21), in part to combat drunk driving deaths. [ref. needed] In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which required states to raise their purchasing and public ownership age to 21 in October 1986 or lose 10 percent of their federal funding for roads. By mid-1988, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had raised the age of purchase to 21 (but not Puerto Rico, Guam or the Virgin Islands, see additional notes below). South Dakota and Wyoming were the last two states to serve the 21-year term. The current drinking age of 21 remains a point of contention among many Americans because it is above the age of majority (18 in most states) and above the drinking age in most other countries. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act is also considered a circumvention of the Tenth Amendment by Congress. Although the debates were not widely publicized, some states proposed legislation to lower their drinking age,[5] while Guam raised the drinking age to 21 in July 2010. [6] In the context of undercover work or research, it is legal in some states for a minor employed in law enforcement to purchase and consume alcohol.

This is an understandable attempt to keep these enforcement efforts unhindered. Despite this flexibility for states, Congress retains the power to use financial and tax incentives to promote certain alcohol policies, such as the legal drinking age. The Uniform Federal Drinking Age Act of 1984 sets the legal drinking age at 21, and every state adheres to this standard. All fifty states had raised their minimum drinking age to 21 by the summer of 1988. South Dakota and Wyoming were the last states to comply with the change. The MLDA debate often refers to „the age of majority.“ According to the Law Information Institute at Cornell University, „The age of majority refers to the age at which a person is legally considered an adult. This is the age at which a person is subject to all the legal rights and duties of an adult, including the right to vote, the right to enlist in the military, or the right to sign a treaty. After reaching the age of majority, one becomes fully responsible for one`s own acts, contractual obligations and other obligations. Parental maintenance obligations also cease to apply. Most countries have set the age of majority at 18, but in the United States, the age of majority is 19 in Alabama and Nebraska and 21 in Mississippi. Many wonder why a person is allowed to legally enlist in the military or smoke cigarettes, but is not allowed to consume alcohol at the age of 18. [56] In many other Asian countries, however, alcohol laws do not exist or are very flexible. Cambodia, Macau and Vietnam do not have a minimum age to buy or consume alcohol.

Wisconsin has experienced problems with underage drinking on college campuses. In 2017, a state legislator tried to pass a bill that would lower the drinking age to nineteen to reduce excessive alcohol consumption. That bill didn`t pass, but underage teens can currently drink at a bar or restaurant with a parent in Wisconsin. Under Wisconsin law, 18- to 20-year-olds can legally drink with a parent, guardian or spouse 21 and older. In all U.S. states, you must be at least 21 years old to purchase alcohol. It is also a criminal offense in all 50 states to make false statements (including making ID cards) to purchase alcohol. However, states may vary if possession and consumption are illegal in all circumstances. In some states, you may also be accused of „internal obsession,“ which refers to alcohol in your body.

You may be charged for this following a blood, urine, or breath test, or in some states just for „signs of poisoning,“ even if you`re found alcohol-free and haven`t been seen consuming it. This state is strict and enforces the law against possession or consumption of alcohol by persons under the age of 21. There is an exception for minors who are at home with a parent or guardian. However, it is not applicable in public places such as bars or restaurants. In 2017, lawmakers considered a bill allowing minors to drink beer and wine in restaurants or at family gatherings with parental consent, but it has yet to move forward or pass. In other parts of Asia, the minimum age for alcohol consumption varies. Malaysia (16), China (18), South Korea (19), Japan (20) and Thailand (20) are notable countries with different minimum age limits. During the colonial period under British rule, there was no drinking age. It was not uncommon to see young teenagers drinking in taverns.

In 1984, the federal government passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, setting the National Minimum Drinking Age at 21 („MLDA“). It was phased in over a few years, and today, all 50 states require you to be 21 or older to buy alcohol. So why discuss drinking age by state? In Asia, Singapore has the strictest alcohol laws. The sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited from 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. This limit remained constant until the late 1960s and 1970s. Meanwhile, many states have lowered the minimum drinking age to 18. The Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) sets the legal age at which a person can purchase alcoholic beverages. The MLDA in the United States is 21 years. However, prior to the enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, the legal age to purchase alcohol varied from state to state.1 In most European countries, the minimum drinking age is 18, while some countries even allow legal consumption at 16. Most states have set the legal drinking age (MLDA) at 21.

However, Illinois and Oklahoma set the MLDA at 21 for men and 18 for women in 1933.