Is there a link that shows the alcohol laws in each state? In MD it's legal for a parent to allow their own child to have an alcoholic drink in their house. By law my child can't drink in someone elses house, nor can I give permission for a child who is not my own to consume alcohol in my house.
Personally in this scenario, I would not have a problem with neither a paid babysitter nor someone under 21 having a beer with lunch while babysitting. I don't know many 14-15 year olds who can drive which in this scenario happened as the FIL left at 5AM to get there by 9AM. I would not provide alcohol to a teen who is not mine, but would not be all that upset if someone else's child drank A beer.
It is not a six pack nor is it terribly irresponsible. As to being paid while having a drink, I have been at many a lunch with the boss while he paid for a drink while on the clock no less...and in the middle of the day. A beer does not indicate bad behavior or irresponsibility. I happen to believe (as do others) that raising the drinking age from 18 to 21 made college drinking far worse than it was before 1984.
This is a map (remove the spaces). It is aggregate form and does not show prohibitions against parent permission. The national law itself that raised the drinking age really only prohibited selling alcohol to persons under 21 or drinking in public spaces.
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