Underage Drinking

Menstuff® has compiled the following information on Underage Drinking and permissive state laws. Federal law makes it illegal to consume alcohol prior to the 21st birthday.

Hooking the Nation's Youth
Drinking Age Questioned
How your state's politicians make underage drinking legal
Young Kids and Booze: Tasting Common
Lowering the Drinking Age

Hooking the Nation's Youth

Alcohol producers are finding increasingly dangerous ways to hook the nation’s youth and fuel the underage drinking epidemic. That is the conclusion of a new report, Alcohol, Energy Drinks, and Youth: A Dangerous Mix, released by Marin Institute at the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center's annual conference in Orlando. The report examines the alcohol industry’s youth-oriented marketing tactics promoting the consumption of alcoholic energy drinks, such as Bud Extra, Tilt, Sparks, and Rockstar 21.

Click here to read the report.

Drinking Age Questioned

Over the strong objection of federal safety officials, a quiet movement to lower the legal drinking age to 18 is taking root as advocates argue that teenagers who are allowed to vote and fight for their country should also be able to enjoy a beer or two.

Opponents of the idea point to a reported rise in binge drinking as teenagers increasingly turn to hard liquor as proof that minors should not be allowed to drink.

Read the rest of the article .

How your state's politicians make underage drinking legal

Only 15 states and the District of Columbia make it illegal for someone under 21 to possess or consume alcohol. All other states have laws that permit underage drinking in certain circumstacnes. Nineteen states require only that the drinking goes on in a private setting.

Under Age (21) Drinking Laws

.
May Not
May

State
1
2
3
4
5
6

Alabama
X
.
.
.
.
.

Alaska
.
X
.
.
.
.

Arizona
X
.
.
.
.
.

Arkansas
.
.
X
.
.
.

California
.
.
X
.
.
.

Colorado
.
X
.
.
.
.

Connecticut
.
.
X
.
.
.

Delaware
.
X
.
.
.
.

D.C.
X
.
.
.
.
.

Florida
.
.
X
.
.
.

Georgia
.
X
.
.
.
.

Hawaii
.
.
X
.
.
.

Idaho
X
.
.
.
.
.

Illinois
.
X
.
.
.
.

Indiana
X
.
.
.
.
.

Iowa
.
.
X
.
.
.

Kansas
X
.
.
.
.
.

Kentucky
.
.
X
.
.
.

Louisiana
.
.
.
X
.
.

Maine
.
.
X
.
.
.

Maryland
.
.
X
.
.
.

Massachusetts
.
.
X.
.
.
.

Michigan
X
.
.
.
.
.

Minnesota
.
X
.
.
.
.

Mississippi
.
.
X
.
.
.

Missouri
.
.
.
.
.
X

Montana
.
.
.
.
X
.

Nebraska
.
.
.
.
.
X

Nevada
.
.
X
.
.
.

New Hampshire
.
.
X
.
.
.

New Jersey
.
.
.
.
.
X

New Mexico
.
.
X
.
.
.

New York
.
.
X
.
.
.

North Carolina
X
.
.
.
.
.

North Dakota
X
.
.
.
.
.

Ohio
.
.
.
.
X
.

Oklahoma
.
.
X
.
.
.

Oregon
.
X
.
.
.
.

Pennsylvania
X
.
.
.
.
.

Rhode Island
.
.
X
.
.
.

South Carolina
.
.
X
.
.
.

South Dakota
X
.
.
.
.
.

Tennessee
X
.
.
.
.
.

Texas
.
.
.
.
X
.

Utah
X
.
.
.
.
.

Vermont
X
.
.
.
.
.

Virginia
X
.
.
.
.
.

Washington
.
.
.
.
X
.

West Virginia
X
.
.
.
.
.

Wisconsin
.
.
.
.
X
.

Wyoming
.
.
X
.
.
.

Total States
16
7
19
1
5
3
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20249460/

Legend: 1: possess or consume; 2: consume alcohol only if married AND if spouse or guaardian is present; 3: in a private setting; 4. only if married OR if spouse or guardian is present; 5: if parent or guardian is present. 6: in parents' or guardian's residence if parent or guardian is home.

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