The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time. Seven countries do not have a government-mandated drinking age, while 11 countries ban the consumption of booze entirely.
Laws that apply anywhere in Australia
Legal drinking age – you must be 18 or older to buy alcohol or to drink alcohol in a licensed venue. Selling alcohol – it's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to someone who is already drunk.
Advice for parents:
If children do drink alcohol, they should not do so until they're at least 15 years old. If 15 to 17 year olds drink alcohol, it should be rarely, and never more than once a week. They should always be supervised by a parent or carer.
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.
If you are caught buying alcohol and you are under 18, you can: be given a formal caution; or. be fined on the spot by the police or compliance officers of the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation ($365); or. choose to have the matter decided by a court (which may fine you up to $3,048 if you are found guilty).
In Australia, it's legal for a person under 18 to drink alcohol on private property. But in most states and territories, the person who gave them alcohol could be breaking the law – unless they're the young person's parent or guardian, or the parent or guardian has provided permission.
Employees who sell or serve liquor must be at least 16 years of age and hold the appropriate Responsible Service of Alcohol course accreditation attained from an approved Registered Training Organisation (approved RTOs are listed at www.liquorlicensing.tas.gov.au > Industry Training > Responsible Serving of 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.
If you are planning a family trip to il Bel Paese—especially if your teenage children or grandchildren are part of the brood—you may be wondering about the legal drinking age in Italy and local drinking customs. The legal drinking age in Italy is currently 18 years old.
Roughly one in eight (13%) say 6 p.m. or later is the earliest acceptable time, while nine percent of Americans say it's fine to grab a libation before 10 a.m. Men (13%) are more likely than women (7%) to say 10 a.m. or earlier is appropriate to raise a glass.
If you're 16 or under, you may be able to go to a pub (or premises primarily used to sell alcohol) if you're accompanied by an adult. However, this isn't always the case. It can also depend on the specific conditions for that premises. It's illegal to give alcohol to children under 5.
In Australia, they have strict rules surrounding alcohol. You can't free-pour at all, but instead pour exactly one shot per mixed drink. This is why cocktails are so expensive. You also have to take a class and get a certificate before working in all bars and most restaurants and cafes called an RSA.
While the highest proof alcohol available is 96%, it is typically sold as 95% due to labelling regulations.
Only a parent or guardian (or a person authorised by the parent or guardian) may supply alcohol to a minor at an unlicensed premises (including a family home), however the supply must be consistent with the responsible supervision of the minor.
The official legal drinking age in Greece is 18 in public and you also have to be 18 to buy alcohol. In reality, these laws are not strictly enforced and in many tourist zones, they're not enforced at all.
Legal drinking age versus per capita
Standard drinks per week per person are calculated for each person of legal drinking age in Canada. The legal drinking age is 19 years and older in every province and territory except Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta where it is 18 years and older.
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.
In 2021, the legal age for drinking alcohol is 18 years in the state of Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim, and Puducherry in India. In comparison, the legal age for drinking is 21 years in the capital city of India, Delhi.
Alcohol is sold in supermarkets. The age limit for the purchase of wine and beer is 16 years, and 18 years for high-proof alcohol. There is no nationwide minimum age for the purchase of tobacco in Switzerland. Depending on the canton, the minimum age is either 16 or 18.
It is an offence for a person under 18 to buy alcohol or drink alcohol in a pub. If you are under 18 you can have alcohol confiscated by the police if it is being drunk in a public place.
You can complete our RSA online course if you are a minor under the age of 18.
No, you can't drink alcohol on the beach in Western Australia. It is an offence in Western Australia for persons of any age to drink in public without a permit, such as on the street, park or beach.
The legal age for consensual sex varies between 16 and 17 years across Australian state and territory jurisdictions (see Table 2). For other sexual activities, the criminal legislation relating to different types of sexual behaviours and interactions varies across Australian jurisdictions. Tas. Vic.