Our Thinking About Drinking

The Research

Age Limits Worldwide: A Mix of Distinctions

In addition to making general distinctions between purchase and consumption, drinking age laws also distinguish specifically between the ages at which alcohol can be consumed and purchased on-premise (generally pubs, cafes, bars, restaurants) and off-premise (liquor stores, “state stores,” supermarkets, etc.). Legislation in some countries addresses on- and off-premise sales separately, while in other countries, it makes no such delineation. Where legislation makes the on- or off-premise distinction, the minimum age tends to be lower for off-premise purchaseⁱ. In addition, some laws assign different minimum ages based on the type of beverage alcohol being consumed or purchased—for example, beer or wine versus spirits (see table below). Some jurisdictions also apply age limits differently (or do not apply them at all) in circumstances which include parents being present or alcohol being served by parents at home.^{ii, iii} 

APPENDIX I: Minimum Age Limits Worldwide^iv

As indicated by the examples in Appendix I, the most commonly legislated minimum age for both on-premise consumption and off-premise purchase is 18-years old, with lower limits in countries such as France and Denmark (16-years old for off-premise purchase), and higher limits in the United States, Indonesia, and Micronesia (21-years old for on- and off-premise purchase) and Japan (20-years old).

In addition, there are countries where the age limit scenarios become even more complex. For example, in Austria, for distilled spirits, the minimum age for purchase and consumption is 16-years old in three of nine Federal States, and 18-years old in the six other Federal States (with some Federal States differentiating by alcohol content, legislating higher minimum ages for purchase or consumption of drinks with alcohol content of 12 percent Alcohol By Volume (ABV) or more). In Canada, the legal age for consumption or purchase is 18-years old in three provinces, but 19-years old in the remaining provinces. In India, on- and off-premise legal age limits range from 18 to 25, depending on the state. In Belgium, there is no minimum off-premise purchase age for wine and beer; in Brazil, there is no minimum off-premise purchase age for any kind of beverage alcohol.^v

Variations in the Law and Enforcement Implications

Drinking age limits are largely a reflection of the cultural influences and collective societal values of any given community, state, or nation. In turn, these social norms tend to coincide with drinking patterns – the styles, contexts, and cultural dimensions of drinking in societies worldwide.^vi The range of differences in societal practices and cultural drinking patterns is reflected in the array of rules and laws which dictate legal drinking ages around the globe.

Such variations in drinking age rules and laws present certain enforcement challenges. For example, young people below the drinking age under one set of laws may have easy access to alcohol in a nearby jurisdiction with lower age limits. The phenomenon of young people crossing borders to circumvent legal drinking age requirements has been linked in research to problems such as alcohol-impaired driving and binge drinking. As a result, in some parts of the world—for example, within the European Union—there has been public debate about harmonizing alcohol policies from country to country in order to reduce the risk of potential harms associated with young people crossing borders for the purpose of purchasing and/or consuming alcohol.^vii

Research has consistently reinforced the finding that visible and effective enforcement of drinking laws is the key to the success of legislation, including drinking age limits.^viii More specifically, studies of the effects of increased enforcement show it to be a highly effective way to reduce alcohol sales to minors. For instance, targeted enforcement efforts with high visibility such as compliance checks on retail alcohol outlets have been found to typically cut rates of sales to minors by at least 50 percent.^ix

In addition to enforcement activity focused on retail outlets, personnel in on-premise settings may be trained to enforce minimum age limits by requiring proper identification of patrons who might potentially be underage. Enforcement efforts and methods may also include penalties for underage drinkers which are linked to their driving privileges (e.g., revocation or suspension), as well as fines or revocation of serving licenses for establishments who are in violation of legal drinking age laws and regulations.

Despite its pivotal role, enforcement of minimum drinking age laws, in many countries, has been shown to be generally inconsistent and in many instances, only sporadically visible or effective.^x

Moreover, in countries such as the United States where the 21-year old minimum legal drinking age is higher than in most jurisdictions worldwide, there is research which shows that youth under age 21 do in fact illegally obtain and consume alcohol. For example, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the U.S. reports that more than one quarter (28.1 percent) of people aged 12 to 20 consumed alcohol in the past month—including:

• 51.1 percent of those aged 18 to 20,
• 25.9 percent of those aged 15 to 17, and
• 6.1 percent of those aged 12 to 14.^xi

In addition, the annual Monitoring the Future survey results issued by the National Institute on Drug Abuse reflect that in 2008, the percentage of underage youth who admitted drinking an alcohol beverage in the prior 30-day period were represented as follows:

• 8th graders—16 percent
• 10th graders—29 percent
• 12th graders—43 percent^xii

Such findings, in addition to the perceived inadequacy of enforcement efforts on and around university campuses in the United States, have raised questions about the efficacy of the nationwide minimum drinking age limit of 21-years old. Recently, college presidents from about 100 of the best-known U.S. universities called on lawmakers to consider a national debate about the possible benefits of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, suggesting that current laws may actually encourage binge drinking on campuses.

The Amethyst Initiative, which falls under the umbrella of the Choose Responsibility organization (www.chooseresponsibility.org), is based on a rationale that college students will drink whether it is legal or not – but if it is illegal, are more likely to do so in a “culture of dangerous, clandestine binge-drinking.”^xiii In addition to a national debate on the drinking age, they are encouraging increased education possibly tied with licensing if the age were lowered. This is an aspect of the policy dialogue which draws focus to the United States, as it is one of only a few countries with a legal drinking age of 21.^xiv The various viewpoints on this topic, however, touch on research and observations from around the world.

Advertising

The marketing of beverage alcohol is a topic which has attracted a great deal of research, as well as media attention. In particular, there has been significant focus on the relationship between marketing and alcohol consumption by underage youth, as well as young peoples’ expectations about the experience they will have if they consume alcohol.

To briefly summarize this well-researched subject: Although a causal link between advertising and underage consumption has not been established, a limited number of studies have shown modest correlations between advertising and alcohol consumption by underage youth and young adults who are of college age. Such studies have, in turn, been refuted by other research.^xv Yet the fact remains that advertising of alcohol beverages is a matter for serious policy consideration, especially where there is concern that such advertisements may in some way attract the attention of underage youth.

In its most recent assessment of alcohol advertising in 2008, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) noted the importance of “changing adult attitudes” about teen alcohol consumption, citing it as one of the factors behind its launch of the “We Don’t Serve Teens” consumer education program. The program targets parents and other adults with messages such as: “Don’t serve alcohol to teens. It’s unsafe. It’s illegal. It’s irresponsible.” (For more information and research citations on this topic, see The Issues Forum entry on Underage Drinking.)

ⁱInternational Center for Alcohol Policies, Blue Book, Module 12. See: http://www.icap.org/Publication/ICAPBlueBook/tabid/148/Default.aspx.
ⁱⁱWorld Health Organization (WHO). (2004). Global status report: Alcohol policy. Geneva, Switzerland.
ⁱⁱⁱIt should also be noted that research shows that family members and peers represent the most significant influence in terms of how people learn to drink, and that often, parents are the first to introduce children to alcohol, inside the home. See: http://www.icap.org/PolicyIssues/YoungPeoplesDrinking/KeyFactsandIssues/tabid/218/Default.aspx.
^ivCompiled by the International Center for Alcohol Policies. See: http://icap.org/table/MinimumAgeLimitsWorldwide.
^vInternational Center for Alcohol Policies. See: http://www.icap.org/PolicyIssues/YoungPeoplesDrinking/AgeLawsTable/tabid/219/Default.aspx.
^viGrant, M & Litvak, J. (Eds.) (1998). Drinking Patterns and Their Consequences. Washington, D.C: Taylor & Francis.
^viiClapp, J. D., Voas, R. B., & Lange, J. E. (2001). Cross-border college drinking. Journal of Safety Research, 32, 299–307. See: http://www.pire.org/detail2.asp?core=16804&cms=48.
^viiiHoughton, E., & Roche, A.M. (Eds.). (2001). Learning about drinking. New York: Brunner-Routledge. Wagenaar, A.C., & Toomey, T.L. (2002). Effects of minimum drinking age laws: Review and analyses of the literature from 1960 to 2000. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, (Suppl. 14), 206–225. See also: www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/SupportingResearch/Journal/wagenaar.aspx.
^ixGrube, J.W. Preventing sales of alcohol to minors: Results from a community trial. Addiction 92 (Suppl. 2): S251-S260, 1997. Lewis, R.K., Paine-Andrews, A., Fawcett, S.B., Francisco, V.T., Richter, K.P., Copple, B. and Copple, J.E. Evaluating the effects of a community coalition's efforts to reduce illegal sales of alcohol and tobacco products to minors. J. Commun. Hlth 21: 429-436, 1996.
^xWagenaar, A. C., Toomey, T. L., & Erickson, D. J. (2005). Complying with the minimum drinking age: effects of enforcement and training interventions. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 29, 255–262.
^xiUnderage Alcohol Use: Where Do Young People Get Alcohol? National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report (November 2008). See: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/underageGetAlc/underageGetAlc.htm.
^xiiMonitoring the Future, National Results on Adolescent Drug Use (2008), National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S, Department of Health and Human Services, Overview of Key Findings, pp. 36-37. See: http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/overview2008.pdf.
^xiiiSee: www.Chooseresponsibility.org. See also Associated Press. (2008) College presidents seek drinking age debate. See also: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26271328/.
^xivBrief history: In 1984, then-President Ronald Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, effectively setting a national minimum drinking age of 21—which all 50 states adopted by 1987. The legislation was based on the recommendations of a Presidential Commission Against Drunk Driving, established to make recommendations intended to reduce the number of alcohol-related deaths on the nation’s highways.
^xvSee: Alcohol Marketing and Young People, International Center for Alcohol Policies. See: http://icap.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=EkpMOGhCHU8=&tabid=243 See also: http://icap.org/PolicyIssues/Marketing/KeyFactsandIssues/tabid/213/Default.aspx.