Drinking Age

Legal Drinking Age

The legal drinking age for different countries varies dramatically, from 0 to 21, as seen in the table below. The United States has the highest drinking age in the world.

The Problem

* Dr. Ruth Clifford Engs of Indiana University, an internationally-known health educator and alcohol researcher, believes that the minimum drinking age of 21 in the US is too high.

* Dr. David J. Hanson of the State University of New York at Potsdam evaluates research regarding the effectiveness of age 21 minimum age legislation.

The Solution

* The world's leading anthropologist of drinking, Dr. Dwight B. Heath of Brown University, recommends: Teach Safe Drinking to Your College Bound Teen.

* Sociologist Dr. David J. Hanson explains why It's Better to Teach Safe Use of Alcohol.

* Educational leader Dr. Roderic B. Park proposes that we create Drinking "Learner Permits" for Under-Age Persons.

The problem of identifying the optimum drinking age to reduce alcohol abuse is likely to continue. It involves issues of freedom, responsibility, parental rights, religion, politics and many other realms of life. And it is a very important problem so let the discussion begin.

World Drinking Ages No Minimum Age 16 Age 18 Age 19 Age 20 Age 21

Armenia Antigua Argentina South Korea Japan (UNITED STATES)

Azerbaijan Austria Barbados Iceland

China Belgium Bermuda

Fiji France British Virgin Islands

Nigeria Germany* Chile

Poland* Greece* Czech Republic

Portugal Italy Estonia

Soviet Georgia Netherlands* Hong Kong

Thailand Norway* Indonesia

Viet Nam Poland Jamaica

Spain* Israel

Turkey* Latvia

Switzerland* Luxembourg (age 17 with an adult)

Mexico

Mongolia

Phillipines

Russia

Slovak Republic

South Africa

United Kingdom (age 16 in restaurants)

Uruguay

Australia

Bahamas

Brazil

Canada (age 19 in some provinces)

Colombia

Denmark

Finland*

Hungary

Ireland

Jamaica

Lithuania

Malaysia

Moldova

New Zealand*

Peru

Puerto Rico

St. Maarten

Slovenia

Sweden*

Turkmenistan