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in the state of virginia its legal for parents to give their kids alcohol.

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Dark Jedi

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I just found out va is one of 8 states that its legal for parents to give their kids alcohol in their own home. Not saying a little SIP. I mean stinking drunk. I even asked my cousin who is a cop on this and he said its true. So why even have an age limit if parents can give it to them at very young age?
 
Dark Jedi said:
I just found out va is one of 8 states that its legal for parents to give their kids alcohol in their own home. Not saying a little SIP. I mean stinking drunk. I even asked my cousin who is a cop on this and he said its true. So why even have an age limit if parents can give it to them at very young age?
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I think your cousin is wrong about it. And that is a whole other thread. Here is a short form review of the current VA drinking laws that apply to minors:



Virginia's Alcohol Beverage Control Act contains laws governing possession, use and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Pertinent laws are summarized below:
  • It is illegal for anyone under age 21 to purchase, posses, or consume any alcoholic beverage.
  • It is illegal for any person to sell alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21 years.
  • It is illegal for any persons to purchase or provide alcohol beverages for another when, at the time of the purchase, he/she knows or has reason to know that the person for whom the alcohol is purchased is under 21 years of age.
  • It is illegal for any underage person to use a forged or otherwise deceptive driver's license to obtain beer or other alcoholic beverage.
Correct me if you think this is wrong. I cannot see any reason why the state would make it legal for kids to drink. It would surely make the news. It is a bad law if true because the parents are responsible for the damage a drunk child causes.
 
Here's a site that breaks it down by state:

42 States That Allow Underage (under 21) Alcohol Consumption - Drinking Age - ProCon.org

According to the site Virginia is a state where underage drinking is allowed "on private non alcohol selling premises, with parental consent"

They provide a link to this pdf concerning Virginia:

http://drinkingage.procon.org/sourcefiles/VirginiaUnderAgeAlcConsumpLaw.pdf

This looks like the pertinant section of the above pdf:
7. Any person who keeps and possesses lawfully acquired alcoholic beverages in his residence for his personal use or
that of his family. However, such alcoholic beverages may be served or given to guests in such residence by such
person, his family or servants when (i) such guests are 21 years of age or older or are accompanied by a parent,
guardian, or spouse who is 21 years of age or older and (ii) such service or gift is in no way a shift or device to evade
the provisions of this title.
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Edit: Another link specific to Virginia's underage drinking laws:

http://www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/apis_state_profile.html?state=va
 
I dont think many knows of this law in Va. I know I sure didnt until my wife showed me. I think its a law that needs to be taken out. I will never give my child alcohol as he has no reason to have it.

I also think the legal drinking age should be 18. If you can die for your country you should be able to slam a few back prior to doing so.
 
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If I had to guess, these laws probably date back to when it was popular to give your kid a hit of bourbon when he was teething to take the edge off. Just a guess though.

This is one of those things where I don't think parents that want to give their kids alcohol really care about the law. They will do it regardless. Changing the law probably isn't going to stop little Timmy from getting drunk if his parents give him the OK.

JMO ;)
 
Dark Jedi said:
Until it deals with a child safety and well being. Then your rules no longer applies.
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Honestly, how is a child getting drunk any worse than another person getting drunk. If the kid died of alcohol poisoning, even under this "free to drink in your own home" law, you can bet the parents would be liable. Right now, I think we should make laws more about how your kids are being fed. All this high sugar high fat BS is causing kids to grow up eating trash and become obese throughout their lives. Far more Americans are ruining their kids daily by teaching them poor eating habits than those that are getting their kids drunk.

Furthermore, even where kids grow up in alcoholic families yet are not offered alcohol are at much higher risk of abuse later in life. And who is going to report daddy giving Timmy alcohol behind closed doors? After that, who is going to believe who? Mommy is mad at daddy and says Timmy was being fed beer. Timmy loves daddy more so Timmy says he stole the beer without daddy knowing? See? I just don't think there is evidence of this being a big enough problem to really change the law about it. People are outraged that the law is this way, but do you know of kids getting plastered and destroying their lives because they were allowed to drink in the confines of their own home?
 
I remember reading something on why some parents would allow their underage kids to drink. One of the woman interviewed said that her kids will drink with or without her knowledge, she would prefer it with her knowledge and in a control environment. When her kids (and friends) party at her house, she knows that none of them will be drinking and driving (they are required to be sleeping over).

I do believe that the US has a really high age for the drinking limit. Seriously 21? You can legally vote, smoke, marry, have kids at 18 but you can't drink?
 
Roze said:
I remember reading something on why some parents would allow their underage kids to drink. One of the woman interviewed said that her kids will drink with or without her knowledge, she would prefer it with her knowledge and in a control environment. When her kids (and friends) party at her house, she knows that none of them will be drinking and driving (they are required to be sleeping over).

I do believe that the US has a really high age for the drinking limit. Seriously 21? You can legally vote, smoke, marry, have kids at 18 but you can't drink?
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What happens when the woman goes to sleep, the kids get out, and perhaps become involved in an accident? Certainly, you are liable and she will likely face a pissed off jury that has her swinging from a rope before the jury is fully seated.
 
Knewz said:
But why would you give a child alcohol? Borderline pedophilish to me.
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To me someone that is 20 years old is nowhere near being seen as a child, yet he/she still can't drink?

Bob Maxey said:
What happens when the woman goes to sleep, the kids get out, and perhaps become involved in an accident? Certainly, you are liable and she will likely face a pissed off jury that has her swinging from a rope before the jury is fully seated.
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Can't seem to find the article :( It might have been on the tv.

But found this debate on WSJ: The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition
 
I agree with your concern about the whole "waiting to be 21" thing. 18-21, what's gonna make you ready for alcohol in that three year time span? yadayada.

But i was really referring to allowing/giving children(young) alcohol.
 
Roze said:
To me someone that is 20 years old is nowhere near being seen as a child, yet he/she still can't drink?
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So where is the line drawn? Some say 18, what about 17.5 or 17? Some people are very mature at 16, so should that be the age? Why not 15, if you are like an old friend of mine that was very sensible and mature?

21 is the age in most places and when you decide that is too old, you have to pick an age. I think 21 is fine because it gives most people a chance to mature and that is important.
 
Bob Maxey said:
So where is the line drawn? Some say 18, what about 17.5 or 17? Some people are very mature at 16, so should that be the age? Why not 15, if you are like an old friend of mine that was very sensible and mature?

21 is the age in most places and when you decide that is too old, you have to pick an age. I think 21 is fine because it gives most people a chance to mature and that is important.
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Well historically the the drawing of the line coincided with the 'age of majority' which used to be 21 in the US. The age of majority is now 18 so it seems drawing the line at 21 is quite arbitrary at this point. If you want to talk about maturity from what I recall reading not long ago the brain doesn't fully mature until sometime around the late twenties...
 
Bob Maxey said:
So where is the line drawn? Some say 18, what about 17.5 or 17? Some people are very mature at 16, so should that be the age? Why not 15, if you are like an old friend of mine that was very sensible and mature?

21 is the age in most places and when you decide that is too old, you have to pick an age. I think 21 is fine because it gives most people a chance to mature and that is important.
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If a person isn't mature by 18. Then 3more years isn't going to make a difference.
 
Dark Jedi said:
If a person isn't mature by 18. Then 3more years isn't going to make a difference.
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I don't know if I agree with this. A lot of things happen to a person between the time they generally graduate high school (18) and by the time they reach 21. A lot of kids get out of the house at this time, start living their own lives, making largely their own decisions, etc.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't me advocating to keep the drinking age 21 (or lowering it), but there is a whole lot that happens to teens between 18 and 21. To be fair, a whole lot more happens further along as well, possibly up to the age of 30, or more.
 
lordofthereef said:
I don't know if I agree with this. A lot of things happen to a person between the time they generally graduate high school (18) and by the time they reach 21. A lot of kids get out of the house at this time, start living their own lives, making largely their own decisions, etc.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't me advocating to keep the drinking age 21 (or lowering it), but there is a whole lot that happens to teens between 18 and 21. To be fair, a whole lot more happens further along as well, possibly up to the age of 30, or more.
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Look at a lot of your college students between 18 to 25. How many shows maturity and how many doesnt. You seem to be thinking when a person reaches a certain age something goes click in their brain and boom they are mature. It dont work that way and I have seen more people reach 21 act the same as they did at 18. 21 isnt a magic number and I think if the courts and gov acknowledge you being an adult at 18. Then you should be able to drink at 18.
 
Dark Jedi said:
Look at a lot of your college students between 18 to 25. How many shows maturity and how many doesnt. You seem to be thinking when a person reaches a certain age something goes click in their brain and boom they are mature. It dont work that way and I have seen more people reach 21 act the same as they did at 18. 21 isnt a magic number and I think if the courts and gov acknowledge you being an adult at 18. Then you should be able to drink at 18.
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Actually, there are plenty of college students that learn maturity through their "trial by fire" (aka mom and dad gave you the boot and you get to learn how to live on your own). And no, I don't think something magical happens in your head at ANY age. The difference is the potential life experiences that a human being can have under his/her belt at those given ages. The average 18 year old hasn't lived a day away from home. They are less likely to be responsible than a 21 year old, statistically speaking.
 
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