Under age drinking ?

[lugnut33]

Whatever. I was answering a question about Florida. I didn't feel a lesson in US drinking laws was necessary

Then you shouldn't have said this:

In the US any adult caught giving anyone underage an alcoholic beverage is subject to prosecution.

 

[andyman8]

These arguments basically come down to two sides: one fine with it and the other determined that any sip of alcohol by someone under 21 will result in immediate prosecution (despite the fact that most of their kids will certainly have more than just a sip before they're 21, most likely outside of their parents' company). I have seen it done many times all over the U.S. (including at WDW) by both citizens and international tourists and have never seen anyone merely raise an eyebrow. In some states, it is actually legal for a parent to do this if the kid is a certain age. Of course, in Florida, I believe it is against the law, so there's always a chance you can get caught, but as long as you don't make a blatant habit out of it, I think you'll be fine. Anyways, I honestly hope the security guards in the parks are focused on much broader safety issues than a 19-year-old sipping a beer, but that's just my opinion.

 

[lugnut33]

I hope I don't get in trouble for saying this, but I find it ridiculous that a sip of alcohol is illegal in FL, yet that same 18 year old could legally walk about with a hand gun (not a Disney of course).

 

[TSR6]

I'm a former Cast Member... been 12 years so I cant say things haven't changed, but maybe I can leave a little insight, as I was responsible vendor trained, and were also instructed to watch for scenarios like you mentioned - beverage hand offs, and beverage sharing. We were pretty good at it too. I have also watched CM's during Food & Wine while I was at WDW as a guest come in and check for ID's for a situation where a beverage was handed off to another guest. It was a blatant straw purchase for an underager, I was watching it too, and apparently so was a CM. They got questioned, escorted away, and beverage dumped.

Is it worth the risk?

 

[BusyP76]

I have never heard of any parent getting in trouble for giving their child a sip of their drink, let alone their 19-year-old. Yes, there is a law that I've heard enforced on adults buying teens beer outside the liquor store and parents allowing their teens to have underage parties with drinking. NEVER have I heard of trouble in the situation you're describing. Obviously there's no way to say for sure since the law is so broad, but really, I would worry more about jaywalking (crossing the street somewhere other than a crosswalk) than giving my 19-year-old a sip.

The law is not broad. Not in Florida. There are zero exceptions to their underage possession/consumption laws. Some states allow for certain exceptions but Florida does not. Whether or not this law is ENFORCED is up to the establishment or any law enforcement officers you may encounter.

I don't know of any states where there is an exception that allows you to serve alcohol to minors that are not your child, ward or spouse (and as far as I know, those laws require you to be present for consumption...meaning it is not legal for me to give my child alcohol and for her to take it elsewhere to drink it) so I don't know of any states where it would be legal to buy or provide alcohol to other minors.

I would venture to guess that the OP could allow her 19 yr old to sip her drink without anyone giving them a second look. I would even bet money if she bought him a drink at a F&W kiosk and handed it to him, they'd have no problems. But Florida law is NOT open to interpretation in this area and to do so would be very much illegal. Whether or not something is legal and whether or not a law is likely to be upheld are two different things.

 

[Lovetrauma]

I had a family friend that was caught passing a drink to their underage son. They were caught by an undercover security guard and were escorted to a security office. Police were called and ultimately all they got was removal from the park. The Police Officer did threaten with fines and etc but in the end both her and her son had to leave the park and get no refund for the day. Her husband and daughter decided to leave also instead of spending the day in the park without them. So in the end I would be extremely careful if you try it.

I believe if you can fight for your country at 18 you should be able to drink responsibly at 18.

 

[disnut8]

they vary from state to state.

The thing to remember is the 21 years old to drink law is NOT a federal law. It is a STATE law. Any state at any time can decide to lower the drinking age. However, that means losing all federal monies for roads so the state keep their laws at age 21. Here is Georgia, just one state above Florida, we could not buy alchohol at all on Sundays until just a few years ago. And now that we can, we can't buy it until 12:30 PM and sales will stop at 10:00 PM on Sundays. We can buy beer and wine in grocery stores but not hard alcohol. Other states don't have beer and wine in grocery stores. And in Georgia, depending on your county, there are other restrictions on when you can buy alcohol.

 

[scrapquitler]

The law is that you need to be 21, so technically YES it is illegal for you to hand a drink to your child. Will you get arrested for it? Not likely. Have I been the person who drank underage, heck yes. Have I provided alcohol to someone underage, yes. Is it worth risking your vacation over? Only you can decide. I'd do it at home, but personally I wouldn't do it somewhere out in public like a Disney.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I had a family friend that was caught passing a drink to their underage son. They were caught by an undercover security guard and were escorted to a security office. Police were called and ultimately all they got was removal from the park. The Police Officer did threaten with fines and etc but in the end both her and her son had to leave the park and get no refund for the day. Her husband and daughter decided to leave also instead of spending the day in the park without them. So in the end I would be extremely careful if you try it.

I believe if you can fight for your country at 18 you should be able to drink responsibly at 18.

"The military can drink at 18 in some overseas duty stations and some exemptions on base.


"However, The Marines may have a different philosophy. In April 2007, the Marine Corps Commandant signed off on MARADMIN 266/07, allowing 18-year-old Marines to drink in foreign ports if the host nation’s law allows it.

The message also gives the "green light" for Marine Corps commanders to have parties on base where 18 year old Marines can drink, during infrequent special occasions, such as a unit's return from combat deployment, or during the Marine Corps' Birthday Ball. The directive mandates that commanders "ensure that appropriate controls are in place to prevent endangering Military service members or the surrounding community," during such events."

Semper Fi!

Side note...back in the early 70s Fl passed a law that 19 yo could drink. After the first night the law took effect there were dead animals all over the roads in Gulf Breeze, Fl where I lived and many accidents. Was not long before it went back to 21.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I hope I don't get in trouble for saying this, but I find it ridiculous that a sip of alcohol is illegal in FL, yet that same 18 year old could legally walk about with a hand gun (not a Disney of course).

In Florida you need to be 21 to apply for a concealed carry permit.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

I hope I don't get in trouble for saying this, but I find it ridiculous that a sip of alcohol is illegal in FL, yet that same 18 year old could legally walk about with a hand gun (not a Disney of course).

What?! I am bringing my whole collection...of Hank Williams of course. I would want to scare our friends from the UK while they are at WDW. Guns being illegal over there and all.

 

[bryanb]

I believe if you can fight for your country at 18 you should be able to drink responsibly at 18.

I realize that what I'm about to say is off topic, but this is absolutely correct. We trust 18 year olds to have sufficient judgment to enlist in the military, be held responsible as an adult for crimes, and vote in public elections.

I don't advocate breaking any laws, but the overzealous enforcement of a reasonable taste of alcohol makes us sound more like a police state than the "land of the free."

Countries (like France, Germany, Italy) allow 14 or 16 year olds to drink wine/beer at a restaurant -- and yet they are actually no worse off than the U.S. (and often better) when it comes to underage binge drinking, drunk driving, and alcoholism. Maybe because they have a healthier attitude toward alcohol with the family rather than discovering it as a forbidden fruit.

Also, the fact that we are a patchwork of different state laws must be very confusing not only to our own citizens, but to visitors from another country who must navigate these laws!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I know it's hard for travelers to come from one country to another where laws are going to be different than their own home country. I really appreciate the OP for even asking this question, regardless of the controversy of it. Personally I would research the laws of not only the state but the establishment of where I was going if I had any questions. I like to think of it like how some places in the Caribbean are 18 to drink not 21 therefore you can be 18 and drink there as a U.S. citizen.

Just to provide a bit of insight and yes this will def.vary from state to state and city to city so take it with a grain of salt. Last weekend my city conducted an undercover alcohol enforcement for liquor stores. 5 liquor stores failed and provided underagers alcohol...however the clerks were fined immediately because they were the ones to actually violate the law. It is usual that the clerk is then fired by the company but what isn't automatic is fines and legal action of the actual merchant. That part varys depending on the situation. However, the clerk is always fined. I know we're talking about a parent purchasing the drink then allowing their 18 year old to drink from that drink but just wanted to touch on what someone had mentioned about concern for CMs (again obviously the action taken varys from place to place).

Part of the issue is since each State has different rules we generally pull from our own experience. Most of us (ok maybe a too broad of a generalization) use the Federal drinking age of 21 and just leave it at that as well as you have personal beliefs in conflict with the actual law of the State and/or federal government (regardless of whether you agree with those laws or not).

Anyways OP thanks for at least thinking of this situation

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Go for it. The risk of getting caught is extremely remote. You won't get arrested and thrown in a Florida jail.

 

[angierae]

I wouldn't risk it, just because especially during F&W, they're watching carefully. I will say, however, that my extremely young looking DD21 (4'10", had just turned 21 a week and a half ago) didn't get carded ANYWHERE at Universal this January. We drank at Margaritaville, we drank at the hotel, we drank at the Mexican restaurant in Citywalk. She'd reach for her ID and the waitress would say "Oh, you're good, no worries." I assume it was because she was with me, but it really, really surprised me.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I wouldn't risk it, just because especially during F&W, they're watching carefully. I will say, however, that my extremely young looking DD21 (4'10", had just turned 21 a week and a half ago) didn't get carded ANYWHERE at Universal this January. We drank at Margaritaville, we drank at the hotel, we drank at the Mexican restaurant in Citywalk. She'd reach for her ID and the waitress would say "Oh, you're good, no worries." I assume it was because she was with me, but it really, really surprised me.

Yeah being carded is always up in the air. I seldom get carded and then bam when I do it seems to me at a very random place where I wouldn't expect it.

What I find more often is if someone with me shows the waiter/waitress their ID before being asked it becomes more likely they will ask for mine then. Just my personal experience.

I do remember that EVERYONE around me was like "just wait til you're 21 you'll be carded ALL the time"..I'm 28 and I've rarely been carded (excluding the times I've purchased alcohol at a liquor store).

 

[kdisser]

Me and my friend are both 22 (we still get mistaken as high schoolers) we did not once get carded when we were purchasing drinks at the world showcase during Food and wine. And once you have your drinks, unless you are shouting to everyone and anyone that he is underage in U.S. but legal in U.K, there will more then likely not be anyone who cares. I have seen kids younger then me (like 16) sipping on their parents drinks. They don't have CM's going around to everyone who bought a drink, to search out their family and make sure only legal aged adults are drinking. Just be smart and don't advertise about his age. Like I said after you buy the drink and start walking not much can be said (unless things get out of hand).

 

[CampbellzSoup]

No one cares - you're not endangering the welfare of your child.

 

[Keels]

Go for it. The risk of getting caught is extremely remote. You won't get arrested and thrown in a Florida jail.

Exactly. It's not a felony, or anything remotely close to being arrest-worthy.

I can't remember what it's called in Florida (where I grew up and went to high school and college), but here in Texas the most an underager can get is a ticket for MIP (minor in possession), or at worst PI (public intoxication) and both are misdemeanors that carry less weight than a speeding ticket. And that's WITHOUT a parent present.

Now, if your kid gets wasted-face and wrecks a bunch of stuff that causes damages - THAT'S when you, as a parent, are on the hook and face the possibility of being brought up on charges and face the risk of being taken to lock-up for a few hours.

 

[kdisser]

Heck we share our drinks. One person buys we all share it, then the next person is up to buy and we do this as our way of drinking around the world. And not all 4 of us go up to the counter to show ID and purchase the one drink.