Florida drinking laws

[auntpolly]

DD is 20 1/2 and *gasp* drinks alcohol! (And I thought they sat around singing songs and listening to records at those frat parties!) She's such a responsible kid -- and I really don't care as long as she's not driving. In fact, when my husband and I go out to dinner with her here in Ohio they always bring her a wine glass when we order a bottle of wine-- they say it's OK as long as she's with us. (We've been told that it's Ohio's law).

At WDW last January (she was 19), she ordered and was served a Margherita in Mexico's San Angel but refused a wine glass at Italy's Alfredo's. I'm just curious -- what is Florida's law. Do you think that the servers in Ohio are acting on misinformation when they let my underage daughter drink wine?

No biggie -- just curious. I really think it's ridiculous for her not to be able to have a glass of wine with me -- especially since kids 17 - 20 are drunk every night of the week at colleges across the country and no one seems to do anything about that.

 

[Forever42]

Here in Florida, you have to be 21 to drink. Was your daughter's ID checked when she had the margarita? And there's nothing in Florida's law that says it's ok with parents. Parents can even be arrested for giving their children alcohol.

 

[auntpolly]

No, she wasn't asked for her ID. I wonder if these Cleveland area places are breaking the law when they let her drink wine with us. We never hide her age -- most places we go know us pretty well and know very well she's not 21.

At the nicest restaurant in our town they said it was OK under Ohio law as long as she was with us. (As it should be, IMO)

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

I agree with Forever42. The legal drinking age is 21 here in Florida and I believe it is against the law to serve anyone under 21 even if it's okay with the parents.

 

[AllisonG]

Having been an underage drinker in Cleveland, yes the are breaking the law by serving your daughter.
I was never carded when I was an underaged drinker in Cleveland.
Disney doesn't always card you, there are some places that do and some places that don't.
(PS>I am no longer underage. All grown up w/ children and everything!)

 

[Forever42]

It was also wrong of them not to check your daughter's ID when she ordered a margarita. They could be fined pretty heavily for that. They're supposed to check ID if the person looks under 30, when they're buying alcohol.

I'm 22, and pretty familiar with the drinking laws here. Used to work at Publix, and I ID'ed just about everyone.

 

[sotoalf]

I'm 29 years old and look 19, and I always get carded - a pain in the butt. Florida stipulates that only those 21 and over can drink. However, if Disney's not carding and your daughter's not driving, it's not a big deal.

Personally, I think it's marvelous that you've brought up your daughter to enjoy wine with dinner - it's a European habit which more parents should encourage here. She's much less apt to binge-drink in college; and she'll appreciate the pleasure a great glass of wine with dinner can offer.

 

[DisneyDiver]

It's a bit odd for me coming over to WDW from Scotland - I spend most weekends in Edinburgh with my mates, enjoying a few beers, and something a bit more potent if the evening suits it. I also enjoy a glass or two of wine with a meal, and like to think I know the difference between a good and a bad wine (by no means a conniseur, but it's a start!)

When I come over to the World, I'm not allowed to drink! I don't need to drink, but there's times when I wish I could have a nice cold beer at the end of a day in the parks, or have wine with dinner. I wouldn't really want to get drunk at Disney... it'd just feel wrong!

In Scotland (note, these laws are specific to Scotland, and not the whole of the UK) the law stipulates that children from age five can drink in their own home, with the permission of their father (it's an old law, hence the whole male permission thing). From age sixteen (I believe, it could be 14) you are allowed to have a glass of wine or beer with a sit down meal in a restaurant, at the restaurant's discresion. From age 18, you are allowed to drink, without limit to the type or quantity of alcohol.

I don't know what I'm getting at really, just pointing out a few differences.

Cheers,
JP

 

[CarolA]

Amazing, but true.....

From the Ohio State web http://www.liquorcontrol.ohio.gov/drinkagelaw.pdf

"It is illegal to provide a person under 21 years of age with beer, wine, mixed drinks etc.... unless accompained by a spouse, parent(s) or legal guardian(s)


The Federal Goverment mandated a legal drinking age of 21 or your state does not get federal highway funds so.... the legal drinking age for every state in the union is 21. I don't think most states have the exemption for drinking with mom and dad.

 

[sotoalf]

Originally posted by DisneyDiver
It's a bit odd for me coming over to WDW from Scotland - I spend most weekends in Edinburgh with my mates, enjoying a few beers, and something a bit more potent if the evening suits it. I also enjoy a glass or two of wine with a meal, and like to think I know the difference between a good and a bad wine (by no means a conniseur, but it's a start!)

When I come over to the World, I'm not allowed to drink! I don't need to drink, but there's times when I wish I could have a nice cold beer at the end of a day in the parks, or have wine with dinner.

I agree. Visiting Edinburgh a few years ago a bartender once told me, "We serve anyone if they're tall enough to reach the bar. " A good rule, lol.

The difference b/w Scotland and the US obviously is that we're dependent on cars to get us around. That's the reason why we have drinking laws.

Like I originally posted, if the OP's daughter was not carded and her parents don't intend for her to drive, she should get away with sneaking a glass or two of wine.

 

[nitsirk987]

while we were visiting some relatives in texas, my aunt asked her son what he wanted to drink, at the time he was 15, and kiddingly said a beer... come to find out, he could get one as long as his mother approved.

strange laws... here in ma, no one under 21 can drink, it doesn't' matter if the parents say its ok..

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by CarolA
Amazing, but true.....

From the Ohio State web http://www.liquorcontrol.ohio.gov/drinkagelaw.pdf

"It is illegal to provide a person under 21 years of age with beer, wine, mixed drinks etc.... unless accompained by a spouse, parent(s) or legal guardian(s)


The Federal Goverment mandated a legal drinking age of 21 or your state does not get federal highway funds so.... the legal drinking age for every state in the union is 21. I don't think most states have the exemption for drinking with mom and dad.

Thanks for digging that up for me! Well, what do you know -- sometimes people do know what they are talking about!

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by sotoalf


Personally, I think it's marvelous that you've brought up your daughter to enjoy wine with dinner - it's a European habit which more parents should encourage here. She's much less apt to binge-drink in college; and she'll appreciate the pleasure a great glass of wine with dinner can offer.

It's true -- she's not a big drinker. But She'll have a couple beers at frat parties on the weekends and she knows the difference between a chiati and a brunello ! I really believe this because I give her the opportunity to drink, and I've never seen her even a little tipsy, and because her friends make fun of her for it. She refuses, even in college, to go out on "school nights".

Europeans have such a much better attitude about this. If your college aged kids haven't told you what life on campus is like these days, let me know and I'll tell you way more than you ever wanted to know. I think there must be some unwritten suspension of liquor laws for college students.

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by nitsirk987

strange laws... here in ma, no one under 21 can drink, it doesn't' matter if the parents say its ok..

And in my city, up until a few years ago, no one could stand in a retaurant with an alcoholic drink. You had to be seated while drinking. Even now I believe the restaurants need a certain permit, and have to have a certain standing area. They are a little strict up here, LOL!

 

[mamalle]

I can recall a trip with a old boyfriend to epcot when we were like 19 and drinking in every country and never was ID'd but that was before the laws were so strict down here. I still get carded at publix and Im 35. I would think they wouldnt allow it but not for sure.

 

[DisneyDiver]

Is there any law in Florida about drinking in your home? I know it seems daft as it is totally un-enforcable unless you cause enough ruckus to get the police round, but I just wondered considering Scotland is apparently one of the only countries in the world where there are specific laws concerning drinking at home.

Another thing - are fake IDs as common in the US as the UK? There are entire businesses devoted to the production of fake IDs (sold as novelty items, totally legal, non-official cards and the like), and when I was at school, aged 16, you would be in the minority if you didn't have a fake ID for going out - I never bought one, as I never needed to (I looked about 3 years older than I needed to be

Thing is, with this culture, the whole system in Scotland has changed - pubs in Edinburgh are massively strict, and no longer accept any IDs other than passports and driver's licences - student IDs are never accepted, as these were generally accepted as the most forged form of ID on the market. Essentially, the behavior of my generation (using the word generation to describe a 5 year period... maybe a little liberal with the usage there!) has "ruined" it for a lot of the younger people I know.

Again, that's more for info than anything else... I'm going for a beer

 

[Rhonna]

Whether we agree or not , just something to consider:

The real question for me would be the fact that it's against the law.

I don't know if Florida authorities are vigilant on this issue but in my state they carry out "stings" at times - especially at grocery stores. An undercover officer who could pass for young will go into a store at random and try to buy alcohol. If the clerk does not ask for their ID, the store will be fined and the clerk will lose their job. We've heard about it off and on but usually people think "oh, that probably rarely happens". However, I know of one local store in our small town where this just happened and the clerk will probably not be able to get another job at another grocery store anytime soon.

I don't know if they do checks like this in restaurants or if it would ever happen in Florida. But what if? First, I wouldn't want to break the law - that's the principles I try to live by. And second, I'd feel horrible if my decision to do so caused someone to be disciplined on the job or even fired since I would indeed bear some of the responsibility.

Rhonna

 

[Forever42]

Rhonna,

I'm glad to see that someone else finally agrees. Yes, they do it here in Florida as well, and someone at the Publix I worked at lost their job over it. It's really not fair to put someone's job and livelihood in jeopardy just so your daughter can have a glass of wine. Have it at home, in Ohio, where it's legal. Wait another year to do it here. It's not going to kill her, but it could mean everything to a Cast Member here.

And DisneyDiver, yes, the law in Florida is the same everywhere, in restaurants and in the home. It's that way in just about all of the states here in the US.

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by Rhonna
Whether we agree or not , just something to consider:



I don't know if they do checks like this in restaurants or if it would ever happen in Florida. But what if? First, I wouldn't want to break the law - that's the principles I try to live by. And second, I'd feel horrible if my decision to do so caused someone to be disciplined on the job or even fired since I would indeed bear some of the responsibility.

Rhonna

Just so you understand, we only ordered drinks for my daughter because we've been doing it in OH and I had no idea the states' laws could differ so much. That's why I asked the question in the first place -- I wondered if it was Florida law or WDW law -- (or Alfredo's law!) I guess Ohio' one of the only reasonable states . Who would have known?

Anyway, I wanted to know so that we wouldn't do just what you're saying, break the law.

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by Forever42
Rhonna,

I'm glad to see that someone else finally agrees.

I don't know that we're disagreeing. I don't go around trying to get around the law -- that's why I was asking what it was.

There's not many of us who have college students that aren't breaking the liquor laws on any given night of the week, though. You wouldn't believe some of the stories my DD tell me -- and I don't shock easily!