USA strict drinking laws

why are there such strict drinking laws in the US? when i was in Oregon for a year i was 21 and had my northern irish drivers licence as proof. most people wouldnt accept that and demanded my passport which i had to carry around any time i wanted a beer. even then bartenders, waitors would make such a big deal about it. back home here if someone showed a foreign drivers licence as proof of id theyd accept it no problem.
I dont want to sound like a moanin ****er because the microbrews in oregon were amazing, but what are your views towards when a person should be allowed to drink and why is everyone so uptight about it in america?
Then again maybe it was just Oregon. i Dunno.

Can't speak for Oregon, but in the south it is rough. In Texas, the Blue Laws are ridiculous. It is a big waste of time and effort if you ask me. If we didn't make such a hype out of drinking, then we might not have the "drinking problem" that we all seem to have here (according to our govt.)

IMHO, the media in this country has made the general public uptight about almost everything. Drinking, smoking, trans-fat, erectile disfuntion, rap music, video games - you name it.

If there's something that you can think of doing, then odds are that there is probably a group somewhere in this country that is try to ban what you want to do or is very strongly opposed to it. That group will seek out media attention and their motion will steam roll. There are some in this country who, rather than think for someselves, just belive most of what the see on TV and read online.

The beauty of free speech.

We can't stop thousands of illegal immigrants from coming here and mooching off of our welfare system, but by golly if an Irishman wants a beer he's going to have to show his passport.

The people that carded you did so because they fear that they will lose their jobs if the don't or face fines or charges. They probably don't see many REAL out of state licenses, let alone out of country, so they have no idea what one looks like.

Thank the lawyers; they're to blame for almost everything

well i suppose things are starting to get more strict here, back when i was 15 i could get served without much trouble but now apparently its a lot tougher to get served if you're underage(18).
i just think that if the goverenment can try you in a court of law at the age of 18 as an adult, then you should be allowed to make the decision at that age whether you can have a drink or not.
This is all none of my business i suppose, but i was just wondering what you guys thought.

Look at it from the bar's point of view:

They have to make sure you are over 21. Any jackass with a computer and a decent printer could make a card that looks like a ______ driver's license. Passports are much more difficult to fake. The state's liquor laws probably say that the only acceptable forms of ID are US driver's licenses (and military ID) and passports and the bar tenders are trained to recognize these. If the liquor board sends in someone with a fake license from Northern Ireland and the bar tender accepts he/she could loose his/her license and they could fine the bar. Same reason why liquor stores here check EVERYONE"S ID, including 90 year old...if they do it correctly they can't get in trouble.

peterfuse said:

i just think that if the goverenment can try you in a court of law at the age of 18 as an adult, then you should be allowed to make the decision at that age whether you can have a drink or not.
This is all none of my business i suppose, but i was just wondering what you guys thought.

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And you can join the army and serve or die for you country in war but not drink...yeah it is a long standing debate but the old politicians in DC who get a lot of money from people that have a very strong opinion in the matter (Religious Right, MADD, etc.)

Another aspect of this debate that many people don't get into is how this has become an issue that the Federal Government has taken over. Establishment of alcohol laws is a state right but the strong arm of the Feds have bullied states into changing their laws by threatening to take away funding for schools and roads....OK enough of this

Drinking laws are so strict because we have so many greedy lawyers and prudes who feel its their duty in life to impart their beliefs on other people.

Beerrific said:

Look at it from the bar's point of view:

They have to make sure you are over 21. Any jackass with a computer and a decent printer could make a card that looks like a ______ driver's license. Passports are much more difficult to fake. The state's liquor laws probably say that the only acceptable forms of ID are US driver's licenses (and military ID) and passports and the bar tenders are trained to recognize these. If the liquor board sends in someone with a fake license from Northern Ireland and the bar tender accepts he/she could loose his/her license and they could fine the bar. Same reason why liquor stores here check EVERYONE"S ID, including 90 year old...if they do it correctly they can't get in trouble.

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I wish that really was the case, but being a bartender for years, and bouncer for even longer, the sad part is, if you do not card and they are underage, then you get fined or jailed. If they provide you a fake ID then you can actually let them in without recourse. All law enforcment agencies require their underage sting personel to show you their real ID if asked. They are not looking for people that let fakes in, but for the ones that just don't even look or just go through the motions of looking. That does not say that if there is a pattern of allowing blatent fake ID's in, the state will not prosecute, but you can not be held accountable for not being able to recognize a fake ID. Again this all goes back to crazy friggin laws that really need to be updated.

If young adults were allowed to drink in moderation maybe they wouldnt be dying of alcohol poisoning when they get their 1st taste of freedom in college . They need to be taught responsible drinking

Let's hope cheesefood doesn't get a whiff of this thread...

Evan! said:

Let's hope cheesefood doesn't get a whiff of this thread...

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Why? Does he have a fake ID/passport cartel running on the side?

JohnBarleycorn said:

If young adults were allowed to drink in moderation maybe they wouldnt be dying of alcohol poisoning when they get their 1st taste of freedom in college . They need to be taught responsible drinking

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unfortunately, the people to teach them that are their parents but just like sex they don't want to talk about it. so when little johnny dies from alc poisoning they get mad and say the government should have prevented it. so the feds then make it known that they would like everyone to be 21 before drinking and if the state don't ;like it there goes the billions in aid for roads

Zar said:

Drinking laws are so strict because we have so many greedy lawyers and prudes who feel its their duty in life to impart their beliefs on other people.

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Yes.


Little known fact: Lawyers get a quarter each time someone is denied a beer.


It's in the Constitution.

Evan! said:

Let's hope cheesefood doesn't get a whiff of this thread...

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Let's not get started on that again

Bottom line is, drinking age should be 18 - same as voting or joining the military. Furthermore, minors should be able to drink when in the presence of their parents or gaurdians. It used to be legal here in WI I know, but they recinded that a few years ago.
Also, parents have the responsibility to educate their own kids about drugs (yes, alcohol is a drug). If that means sitting down and getting your 16 yr. old drunk or stoned once, then so be it. At least they learned with you in a safe environment and you can give then some wise words rather than doing it behind your back or where/when it could be dangerous.

More on topic: I'm surprised you had so much trouble with a foreign ID. I used to use a fake from Nicaragua and I rarely had any problem. It didn't look anything like me either. That was 7 yrs ago though.

rdwj said:

Thank the lawyers; they're to blame for almost everything

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Heyyyyy I resemble that remark. No, really, what the hell did "the lawyers" do? Isn't "the lawyers" kind of a broad bunch of people to blame crazy liquor laws on?

Also, if you want to spend some time complaining about strict liquor laws come on out to Utah and try to find a beer with me.

Matt Foley said:

Heyyyyy I resemble that remark. No, really, what the hell did "the lawyers" do? Isn't "the lawyers" kind of a broad bunch of people to blame crazy liquor laws on?

Also, if you want to spend some time complaining about strict liquor laws come on out to Utah and try to find a beer with me.

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did you mean to say "i resent that remark"? and yeah, Utah. i don't think i'll be going to Utah in a hurry. why don't you come over here to Belfast and we'll get a good pint of the black stuff?

peterfuse said:

did you mean to say "i resent that remark"?

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That's an idiom meaning. "I could be offended, but you and I [the poster] have a sense of humor, so all's good.

We can't stop thousands of illegal immigrants from coming here and mooching off of our welfare system, but by golly if an Irishman wants a beer he's going to have to show his passport.


................ I don't care who you are. That's funny!

I love the "black stuff." I just ripped through a keg of irish stout homebrew. It's not Guiness and wasn't served on Nitro, but it was damn good. I need to get another one going. No one else in the house drinks it, so I get it all to myself.

As an Irishman I am sure that you will be saddened to know that I recently had a waitress in Nevada who pronounced Guiness as "Genius." OH well, I knew what she was talking about so maybe I am the "Genius"

lol, some of my friends call it genius on purpose. i love Murphy's even better when you can get it up here on tap. Guinness pretty much runs the show here as far as stouts go which is kinda sad. Although i had a Rogue Shakespeare stout at the brewery in Newport and i have to say it was friggin lovely. i would love to make a good AG clone of that stuff.

My 17 year old will legally be able to drink next summer. I've been giving him a beer (sometimes two) after a day of working together. I also bought him a six pack of BMC when he had his friends over for a barbecue. He'll be quite familiar with brew by the time he can buy it himself. At 18, you're an adult in every sense of the word in Manitoba.

Fingers said:

At 18, you're an adult in every sense of the word in Manitoba.

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Is there govm't mandated....
Nevermind.

olllllo said:

Is there govm't mandated....
Nevermind.

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Naw, that stuff is for kids. Aren't you married?

Bar mitzvah

Matt Foley said:

Heyyyyy I resemble that remark. No, really, what the hell did "the lawyers" do? Isn't "the lawyers" kind of a broad bunch of people to blame crazy liquor laws on?

Also, if you want to spend some time complaining about strict liquor laws come on out to Utah and try to find a beer with me.

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I think people who don't understand wtf is going on in the world need someone to blame things on. Since they are clueless, they look for the people who are able to actually, you know, grasp and comprehend what is going on and they figure it must be their fault. So lawyers, who are capable of staying awake and reading boring **** for hours on end and get off on the tiniest details of a single word are blamed for society's woes since they are capable of reading such minutiae without falling asleep- a clear sign that these lawyers are at least partly to blame for everything that people don't want to take the time to understand!

I'm tellin ya, if I had had access to beer making equipment in my house when I was 13 and up, I definitely would have made hooch under my bed. Knowing our kids are clones of us, eventually I *will* find a jug of something nastily fermenting in their closet. I'm working on the rules with booze in the house: I'll teach them to make it and appreciate the work that goes into making good beer.

One of the facts of life is that kids are going drink underage. The best I can do is teach them responsibility, and teach their friends as well. If they make something that's horribly nasty, I WILL make them drink it until they puke. That'll teach em to make it the good way instead!

Society as a whole would be a lot better if we all taught our kids responsibility with alcohol. Not to avoid it only because they're 'underage' (because it makes it forbidden, and we all want things we cannot have) but it's a thing to be respected. Just like anything else 'adult' like R rated movies, guns, drugs, pr0n, clowns and taxes.

ohiobrewtus said:

We can't stop thousands of illegal immigrants from coming here and mooching off of our welfare system, but by golly if an Irishman wants a beer he's going to have to show his passport.

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Sad. Funny. True.

We all agree the laws are stupid. Surprise Surprise a bunch of people that brew beer think it is ridiculous that you have to be 21 to drink it.

I'm still not understanding how the lawyers are responsible for this though. MADD is the main group that lobbied for the law to go from 18 to 21. Congress instead of changing the age to 21 left it up to the states, but denied all kinds of federal highway funds to states that kept the age at 18.

I'm semi proud to say that my sate (West Virginia) was one of the last to make the age 21. I would be more proud of course if they held out for good, but let's face it we're a poor state and it costs a ton of money to build roads through these mountains so it kinda had to be done.

I thought if you were in the armed forces (in US) you could legally buy/drink. As far as buying, must be 21, but if 18 and independant you could legally drink at home, just need 21 yr old person 2 buy it for you. I don't have that problem now but back in my youth thats what I was led 2 belive!

rdwj said:

The people that carded you did so because they fear that they will lose their jobs if the don't or face fines or charges. They probably don't see many REAL out of state licenses, let alone out of country, so they have no idea what one looks like.

Thank the lawyers; they're to blame for almost everything

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Hit the nail on the head there. I work the door at a bar on campus now, and had to sit through a 4 hour think on liability of the bar and myself in case of underage drinking and fights/confrontations. It was basically all about if you do this they can sue your ass.

****ing lawyers. And yeah there are a lot of them that would love to make some money off you for some bull**** reason.

johnsmith098 said:

I thought if you were in the armed forces (in US) you could legally buy/drink. As far as buying, must be 21, but if 18 and independant you could legally drink at home, just need 21 yr old person 2 buy it for you. I don't have that problem now but back in my youth thats what I was led 2 belive!

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Nope, military folks are held to the same standard. If you are in a foreign country, you are subject to their laws...usually 18+....but guess what?! As soon as you come back to base, if you are drunk (only usually if you are disorderly) you can be punished under US law... Now that we're fighting a war in a muslim country (read: suck!) you are allowed VERY few drinks (like 3/day) on your 3 day R&R in a 7-18 month deployment.