Rates of drinking and binge drinking among those under 21 – The 2019 found that among high school students, 29% drank alcohol and 14% binge drank during the past 30 days.14 In 2021, the reported that 7% of 8th graders and 26% of 12th graders drank alcohol during the past 30 days, and 3% of 8th graders and 12% of 12th graders binge drank during the past 2 weeks.15 In 2014, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York State Liquor Authority found that more than half (58%) of the licensed alcohol retailers in the City sold alcohol to underage decoys.17 Communities can enhance the effectiveness of age 21 MLDA laws by actively enforcing them.
- A Community Guide review found that enhanced enforcement of laws prohibiting alcohol sales to minors reduced the ability of youthful-looking decoys to purchase alcoholic beverages by a median of 42%.16
- Alcohol sales to minors are still a common problem in communities.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration., Washington, DC.2001.
- Committee on Substance Abuse, Kokotailo PK., Pediatrics,2010;125(5):1078-1087.
- DeJong W, Blanchette J., J Stud Alcohol Drugs,2014;75 Suppl 17:108-115.
- Task Force on Community Preventive Services., Am J Prev Med,2001;21(4 Suppl):16-22.
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Why 21? 2018;, Accessed May 3, 2018.
- Shults RA, Elder RW, Sleet DA, et al., Am J Prev Med,2001;21(4 Suppl):66-88.
- Serdula MK, Brewer RD, Gillespie C, Denny CH, Mokdad A., Am J Prev Med,2004;26(4):294-298
- National Prevention Council., Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2011.
- Bonnie RJ and O’Connell ME, editors. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine., Committee on Developing a Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Underage Drinking. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2004.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)., Accessed April 19, 2022.
- Sacks JJ, Gonzales KR, Bouchery EE, Tomedi LE, Brewer RD., Am J Prev Med,2015;49(5):e73-79.
- Miller JW, Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Jones SE., Pediatrics,2007;119(1):76-85.
- Department of Health and Human Services. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General;2007.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Suppl 2020;69(1):1–83.
- Johnston LD, Miech RA, O’Malley PM, Bachman JG, Schulenberg JE, Patrick ME., Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan; 2022.
- Elder R, Lawrence B, Janes G, et al., Transportation Research E-Circular,2007;E-C123:181-188.
- The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene., Accessed October 18, 2016.
Contents
What is Europe’s drinking age?
AGE RESTRICTIONS ON ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN EUROPE: WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY ARE THEY SET? The most common alcohol minimum purchasing age in the European Region is 18 years old.
Can you drink at 16 in France?
Alcohol – The legal drinking age in France is 18 years for ALL ALCOHOL INCLUDING WINE AND BEER. Before 2009, it was legal for 16-18 year olds to drink “fermented” beverages such as cider, wine and beer, but the laws have changed, and now it’s 18 for all alcoholic beverages.
Article 93 of Act No.2009-87 of 21 July 2009 on hospital reform and on patients, health and territories confirms the prohibition of the sale of alcoholic beverages to all minors (and no longer only to minors under 16 years of age) and adds that the offer of such beverages free of charge to minors is also prohibited in drinking places and all shops or public places.” – translated from the French Ministry of Health article here,
You can buy alcohol in any supermarket, convenience store or wine boutique (but only until 10pm; 8pm in places where consumption is forbidden after 4pm). Some restaurants only have a license to serve alcohol with food. In the 1990s (when I was a student), the French, even university age students, didn’t engage in the excessive drinking habits of their Anglophone counterparts.
That’s why so many student bars in Paris are English, Australian, or American! But that has all changed in recent years and the laws are catching up. There aren’t generalized “open container” laws, but there are certain areas that restrict public alcohol consumption on the street after 4pm: Champs-Elysées (8the), all around the Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars (7th) all around Notre-Dame (4th); “sensitive” districts like Stalingrad (19th), Saint-Blaise (20th) and around Gare de Lyon (12th); festive night life districts like the Latin Quartier (5th/6th), Oberkampf (11the), le Marais (4th) and even after 9pm along the Canal Saint-Martin (10th) and after midnight along both banks of the Seine from Pont Bir-Hakeim to Pont de Tolbiac on the Right Bank and from Pont Mirabeau to Pont d’Iéna, as well as Pont Royal to Pont de Tolbiac on the Left Bank.
Of course you’ll see a LOT of people breaking the rules along the Seine, but if your group is rowdy and has an open container, consider yourselves targets for the police. Drinking and driving is a crime in France, The limit is 0.5 g of alcohol per litre of blood, which is approximately the equivalent of 3 halfpints of beer, 2 glasses of wine or 3 glasses of champagne for an adult male.
Can an 18 year old date a 14 year old in the Netherlands?
The age of consent in the Netherlands for voluntary sexual relations is 16 years (Penal Law Code, art.244 and 245).
Can you drink at 14 in Italy?
In Italy, minors (anyone under the age of 18) are not able to legally purchase or consume alcohol in bars, restaurants or even outdoors (although it is very unlikely for a restaurateur or server to ‘card’ someone who appears to be younger than that when they are drinking with their parents).
Is Amsterdam strict with ID?
Every resident of the Netherlands must be able to provide proof of identity to police or other officials on request. So when you’re out and about in Amsterdam, don’t forget to take valid identification with you.
Can you go clubbing in Amsterdam at 18?
Different clubs in Amsterdam has a different age limit for access. Some clubs require that you are not any less than 21 years of age while some other clubs set their own age limit to people of 18 years of age and above, granting more access to people.
What is Japan’s drinking age?
Drinking & Smoking
Drinking & Smoking
In Japan, the legal adult age is 20. Japanese law prohibits individuals under the age of 20 to drink alcohol or smoke. Regardless of age, you must not force anyone to drink or smoke as it may cause serious health and social consequences.
Is 14 a drinking age in Germany?
Are children and adolescents allowed to smoke? No. Children and teens are not to smoke or be able to buy tobacco products (cigarettes, shisha/ hookah, cigars, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, etc.). Not even for/on behalf of adults. Furthermore, minors must not be allowed in so-called “smoking bars” (bars inside which people can freely smoke).
Children under the age of 14 are not allowed to buy or drink alcohol. Teens who are 14 or 15 are allowed to drink beer, wine or sparkling wine only in the presence and with the permission of their parents or another person in a custodial role. Other heavy alcoholic drinks are not allowed. Adolescents aged 16 and over are allowed to buy and drink beer, wine or sparkling wine also in absence of their parents, but other -heavy- alcoholic drinks are not allowed for them either. From the 18th birthday, a person is considered an adult in Germany. Therefore, they can purchase and consume any alcoholic beverages freely.
Are children and teens allowed in bars and clubs? Whether minors can enter clubs or bars depends on age. Youth Protection Act principally differentiates between children (up to 14 years) and teens (14-18 years)- who are considered minors- and adults (18 years and over):
Children under the age of 14 are allowed in bars with an adult. If children under the age of 14 want to go to a club, their parents or another adult in a custodial role must be present. Teens aged 16 and over can also go to bars and clubs without an adult companion- but must leave by midnight (at the latest). Only adults, i.e. people who are 18 or older, can visit casinos, nightclubs and other “places with undesirable impact on minors”.
In larger cities, there are often so-called Children Discos or Teen Discos, i.e. special clubs for children and teens, where they can dance and have fun with other kids in their age. Schools sometimes also offer such events. In such spaces, there are always adults present to supervise children- and no alcohol is served.
Children under 14 can go to the cinema, but cannot remain there after 8 p.m. Teens aged 14 and over are allowed to go to the cinema and stay until 10 p.m. 16-year-olds and older teens can stay in theatres until midnight.
Moreover, children and adolescents are only allowed to watch movies approved for their age range. Look below in the section” Is there a rating regarding movies and video games suitable for minors?” to learn more about content rating and age-restriction in Germany.
- Is there a rating regarding movies and video games suitable for minors? Films and video games have a content rating: Children and teens are only allowed to consume movies and video games approved for their age group.
- Often on the product packaging and in the film ads in cinemas or magazines, one can find the age ranges for which the content is (not) suitable.
The Voluntary Self-Control of the Film Industry (“Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft” or FSK) is the authority responsible for evaluating cultural product and proposing its age rating. They review the content and specific scenes of a film or video game, and then decides for which age ranges the film or video game is suitable.
- There are 5 ratings: “FSK ab 0”, “FSK ab 6”, “FSK ab 12”, “FSK ab 16” and “FSK ab 18”.
- The number shows the minimum age for which the film or video game is suitable.
- For example, “FSK 12+” means that children under the age of 12 should not watch the film or video game.
- FSK 18+” means that the film is only suitable for adults.
Are children and adolescents allowed to work? Children often like to do small jobs here and there, because they can earn some extra money. However, in Germany there are laws which regulate how much a child can work according to their age. The laws in question are “Verordnung über den Kinderarbeitsschutz” (Regulation about Protection Against Child Labour”) and the “Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz” (“Law for the Protection of Young Workers”).
Children under 13 are not allowed to work. Small and irregular help in family businesses or for neighbours are an exception. Children between 13 and 15 are allowed to do “light” work for up to 2 hours a day. However, only if their parents agree and this does not have a negative impact on school performance or their health. Exception: In agriculture, children between 13 and 15 are allowed to work for up to 3 hours a day. Children subject to mandatory schooling who are over 16 are allowed to work up to four weeks a year, if their parents agree. They can work several weeks in a row during the summer holiday or on a regular basis for a few hours, for example, delivering newspapers. Adolescents over 16 who are no longer subject to mandatory schooling, may work up to 5 days a week for 8 hours a day.
Employers who do not adhere to these rules are subject to punishment.
Is Italy strict on drinking age?
The drinking age in Italy is 18 years old. However, it is not strictly enforced. We recommend to always carry a photo ID to prove your age.
Can a 14 year old drink in Spain?
What`s the Legal Age for Drinking in Spain In this sense, according to the Ministry of Health, “the risk to the physical, mental and social health of young alcohol users is taking on worrying dimensions”. This is why Spain strictly observes its drinking age.
If you`re planning to travel to Barcelona soon, you`ll probably want to familiarize yourself with local laws and customs. While there is plenty to see, one of the most important for any adult tourist will be the drinking laws. It is legal to consume alcohol in Spain while it is supervised by parents. Spain has clear laws on this issue and a quick look at official statistics would show that teenagers start drinking alcohol around the age of 13 or 14.
Culturally, the age of alcohol consumption seems to be much more permissive than actual laws. However, this is not the case in all countries of the world. In the United States, for example, the legal age is 21 and in Canada it is 19. In addition, there are countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria or the Nordic countries where 16-year-olds are legally allowed to consume low-alcohol or moderate beverages (beer, wine).
The minimum age for buying and consuming alcohol in Spain is 18, which is quite young compared to the rest of the world. This includes buying alcohol in bars and clubs, restaurants and shops. However, people under the age of 18 can buy beer or wine when they are with their parents, and there is no minimum age to drink alcohol at home, so it is up to parents to decide whether they think their child is allowed to drink.
Spain is one of the best places in the world to enjoy a cold drink. The country is famous for its bars, taverns and terrazas and enjoys countless festivals that make underage drinking very common, but are still frowned upon. The legal drinking age in Spain was 16, but there are many incidents of drunk and wasted teenagers, so in 2009 they changed the law and raised the legal drinking age nationwide to 18.
- Now, there are a few more important things to know about alcohol laws in Barcelona/Spain.
- To make browsing easier, we`ve put together a mini FAQ below for you to review.
- If you want to have a drink or two, you should know everything you need to know in our guide.
- Also, if you try to buy alcohol in a store after 10pm in Spain, you will be turned away.
The sale of alcohol after 10 p.m. is illegal in Spain. It is possible to find stores that sell you alcohol after 10 years, but it is 100% illegal and if you get caught, you will be punished. So there you have it. If you`re planning to visit Spain and experience the country`s rich drinking tradition, spectacular local festivals, and bar culture, make sure you do it responsibly and stay out of trouble.
The legal drinking age in Barcelona is 18. This is similar to many other neighboring European countries. But that means anyone between the ages of 16 or 17 can legally buy alcoholic beverages. Of course you can. Don`t get used to drinking too much non-alcoholic beer. While you undoubtedly want to relax and have fun during your vacation, you should know that there are potential legal consequences if you drink too much.
These only become more serious if you are also a minor. The most severe penalty will probably be a fine of around 500 euros. Another general law to keep in mind — especially if you plan to meet a lot of women and men on vacation or want to have a holiday romance — is the legal age of sexual consent, which is sixteen.
- If you want to meet someone and get together, make sure they`re old enough.
- If you`re not sure in any way, play it safe.
- Sometimes young girls or boys may seem older than you think, so it`s important to be careful, aware, and most importantly, responsible.
- Also, you should know that it is illegal for someone to pay for sex with someone under the age of eighteen.
These laws also apply to heterosexuals and homosexuals. Spain has greatly relaxed drug laws with regard to private use. You can grow and smoke drugs in your own home or in other private places like the “cannabis clubs” you`ll see across the country. Public health agencies are also in the process of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.
Spain is a popular holiday destination, and for many people, that means enjoying a few drinks and soaking up the sun. For others, however, it means excessive alcohol consumption and perhaps even the use of illegal substances, which can lead them to end up on the wrong side of Spain`s drug and alcohol laws.
Unfortunately, some Britons see Spain as a fairly liberal and open place to drink and party without consequences, but it is easy for them to clash with the Spanish authorities, who often do not hesitate to put drunk tourists in cells at night. Here is some information about the laws surrounding alcohol and drug use in Spain to help you avoid legal problems.
The minimum age to legally drink alcohol in Spain is 18, as in many other countries. It is the same thing, the legal age to consume alcohol is 18 in these cities and throughout the country. In recent years, there have been problems with underage alcohol consumption in Spain. You can hear locals talking about Botellón, which literally translates to “big bottle,” a practice where teenagers hang out on the street and get drunk.
The government has proposed that underage drinkers and their families be fined if caught, but the more liberal Podemos party has suggested offering family counseling instead to address the root cause of the problem. In many areas, shops selling to underage drinkers are subject to heavy fines or closure.
- Spain has regulations similar to those of most European Union countries, where alcohol consumption is allowed at the age of 18 (which is common in the vast majority of countries in the world).
- Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Austria are an exception in Europe, where under-18s are allowed to drink beer and wine, but no spirits.
This reality is different from the United States, where the drinking age is 21 (this is the case in about 11 countries around the world). Muslim countries do not allow alcohol consumption and some countries allow children under 16 who want to taste the wines in Spain, so a parent or elderly person would allow the person under 16 to buy alcoholic beverages.
The law states that it is illegal for minors to buy alcoholic beverages, but the law does not apply to drinking alcohol at home. The minimum age to consume alcohol in Barcelona or Madrid is the same as in the rest of Spain: 18 years. While some shops and supermarkets open late, they are not allowed to sell alcohol after 11pm.
So if you plan to grab some beer or wine and bring it back to your accommodation, pick it up early. When it comes to drinking in restaurants and bars, as long as you are supervised by elderly people, the waiters will serve the minors without question.
Can you drink at 14 in Turkey?
Age limits The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is age limited to persons 18 and over.
Where is the lowest age of consent in the world?
Explained | Japan poised to raise age of consent to 16 after over a century. Why now? A Japanese justice ministry panel proposed raising the age of consent in the country from 13 to 16. Notably, the age of consent in the Asian country is the lowest among the Group of seven nations (G7) and has remained unchanged since its enactment over a century ago.
This comes as the panel proposed a package of reforms which would clarify rape prosecution requirements as well as criminalise voyeurism. Furthermore, it would also criminalise the grooming of minors and expand the definition of rape. What is the age of consent? The age of consent is the legal age at which an individual is deemed capable enough of consenting to sexual activity.
The aim is to protect adolescents and young adults from sexual abuse and the consequences of engaging in early sexual intercourse on their rights and development, as per the United Nations. If an adult engages in any type of sexual activity with someone below the determined age of consent by the state they are committing a crime.
Furthermore, when sexual intercourse is agreed to by both parties, it would be considered statutory rape, since the individual is still a minor and too young to consent. What are the current laws? As of now, Japan has the lowest age of consent in developed countries, as 13-year-old children are deemed old enough to consent which also means sexual activity with them is not considered statutory rape.
However, sexual intercourse with a person under 13 is illegal regardless of consent while intercourse with a person aged 13 to 15 will be punished if the perpetrator is five or more years older, as per Japanese laws. In practice, there are several regions in the country which have banned “lewd” acts with minors which is the closest thing to the age of consent being 18 in Japan.
- However, they do not lead to harsh sentences and significantly lighter penalties than rape charges while also terming sex with children “unethical” conduct as opposed to a crime, said Kazuna Kanajiri, an activist fighting against pornography and sexual exploitation, to AFP.
- The head of the Tokyo-based group PAPS also said that the current laws leave room for perpetrators to “shift blame to the victims, and argue that sex was initiated or enjoyed by the children”.
Additionally, since the age of consent is low it has also meant that teen rape survivors are held at the same level for prosecuting perpetrators as adults do. According to the current Japanese criminal law, the victim needs to meet two conditions, in order to secure a conviction.
In what is often referred to as one of the most controversial provisions, the sex must be non-consensual and the prosecution must be able to prove that the rape perpetrator used “violence and intimidation” and that it was “impossible to resist”. However, critics have argued that this condition effectively blames victims for not resisting enough and said that during an assault survivors can freeze or in some cases even submit to avoid further injury, reported AFP.
What is the proposed reform? Earlier this month, a panel of the Japanese Justice Ministry proposed a number of reforms which included raising the age of consent from 13 to 16, in part, to a wider overhaul of Japan’s sex crime legislation. One of the provisions also said that teenagers who are not more than five years apart in age would be exempt from prosecution if both partners are over 13.
- However, there is no clarity on whether the wording of the proposal addresses drugging, catching victims off-guard and psychologically controlling them.
- According to a justice ministry official, Yusuke Asanuma, the clarification is not “make it easier or harder” to secure rape convictions but they hope that the verdicts in such cases will become “more consistent”, reported AFP.
Additionally, they have also called for the statute of limitations for reporting rape to increase from 10 years to 15 years for sexual violence against minors, to allow them more time to come forward. The council which advises the justice minister has also sought to make the act of secretly photographing an individual’s sexual body parts as well as intercourse and providing such images to other people, a punishable offence.
- What prompted this change? The proposed overhaul comes after mounting criticism and backlash which say that current laws are inadequate to protect children from rape and other sexual offences.
- Notably, the age of consent in Japan has not changed since 1907.
- However, it was after several acquittals, in 2019, which led to widespread protests.
At the time, thousands had taken to the streets of Japan across multiple cities and urged reform of the country’s sex crime laws. One of the cases included a father accused of repeatedly raping his 19-year-old daughter who was acquitted. According to reports, this was after the court had concluded that the intercourse was non-consensual, but since there was no definitive proof that the daughter had been unable to resist, the perpetrator was freed.
This also sparked anger and renewed calls for “the crime of rape as all non-consensual sexual intercourse”. However, he was later sent to prison after prosecutors appealed. The recent proposal comes months after a draft was released called for merging constructive forcible sexual intercourse with forcible sexual intercourse and constructive indecent assault with indecent assault, reported the Japan Times.
The proposal also sought to make sexual activity by making it difficult for the individual to refuse through any one of the eight acts by the perpetrator a punishable offence. The acts in question included assault or threat, causing mental or physical disorder and denying the victim the opportunity to refuse.
In October, when it was being amended, some members of the subcommittee noted that this could be perceived as victims being obligated “to express refusal.” Therefore, it was later changed to “making it difficult for the victim to form, express or fulfil the intention not to consent,” or taking advantage of such a situation, as per media reports.
What’s the age of consent across different countries? Most developed countries have set the age of consent between 14 to 16. According to reports, Nigeria has the lowest age of consent across the world at 11 years which is followed by Angola at 12 years.
On the other hand, in countries like the United Kingdom the age of consent is 16, in Greece and France it is 15 and 14 in Germany, and Italy. The age of consent in the United States varies depending on the state but in a majority of them, it is 16 years of age and 17 or 18 in others. Meanwhile, the highest age of consent is reportedly in Bahrain at 21.
In Europe, the lowest minimum age is 14 years, set in seven European Union (EU) member nations which include Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Portugal. On the other hand, the highest is set at 18 years in Malta, as per the EU agency for fundamental rights.
- Notably, it was not until 2015 that Spain raised its age of consent from 13 to 16.
- In India, the age of consent was 16 from 1940 until 2012 but was raised by the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to 18 years, which is among the highest across the world.
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What is age of consent in China?
Under 16 – The lowest age of consent is in Nigeria (11) followed by the Philippines and Angola (12). The age of consent is 13 in four countries – Japan, Niger, Comoros and Burkina Faso.
- The countries where the age of consent is 14 include a number of South American countries: Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
- The European countries where the age of consent is 14 include Germany, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Austria, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, and Montenegro.
- The age of consent is also 14 in Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Mauritius, Malawi, and Chad.
- The age of consent is slightly higher at 15 in France, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Czech Republic, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, and Slovenia, as well as in Thailand, North Korea, Cambodia, Costa Rica, and Uruguay.
What is Germany’s drinking age?
Purchase –
In 21 Member States ( Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom ), children cannot purchase alcohol. Belgium, Denmark and Germany set 16 years as the minimum age for purchasing beverages containing less than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol and 18 years for buying spirits (more than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol). Sweden set the minimum age for purchasing beverages with more than 3.5 % of alcohol at 20 years. The minimum age to purchase alcohol in Cyprus and Malta is 17 years; in Luxemburg, it is 16 years. In Austria, purchasing alcohol is regulated at the regional level. There are two different age requirements – either 16 or 18 years – depending on the region and the percentage of alcohol involved.