Law Question - Drinking age?

ChrisWinsor

I just wanted to throw this out there for any law students or knowledgable citizens of Ontario. Whats the deal with the drinking age being 19? I thought you weren't supposed to be descriminated against after the age of 18, but this seems like a clear case... Over 18, can't buy till 19. So whats the deal?

Also, is jaywalking still a crime?

Flint Bones

Jaywalking isn't a crime per se. It is a summary offence like a parking ticket or a speeding ticket.

As for the drinking age, it isn't about discrimination. No one is "allowed" to be discriminated against. The powers that be many years ago decided 19 was the age to drink. From my understanding it was based on the amount of 18 year old high school students and the relation to drinking and schools. Does it make sense? Not really. Other provinces don't seem to have any issue. But that is looking at it from a very broad perspective. Be glad we're not in America. 21?????? That is just nutty. Technically in the US you can be a cop on the street or killing and or being killed in the Armed Forces but you can't have a beer because you are not "Mature" enough. Bollocks.

TiMSuM

I don't think there is a legal drinking age, is there? You only have to be 19 to purchase alcohol. You need to be 18 to serve alcohol if you're a waiter/waitress.

compuease

TiMSuM wrote: »

I don't think there is a legal drinking age, is there? You only have to be 19 to purchase alcohol. You need to be 18 to serve alcohol if you're a waiter/waitress.

Is drinking legal?

TiMSuM

compuease wrote: »

Is drinking legal?

Well you can drink many things....so I assume it depends on what you drink. hahaha

ChrisWinsor

Ya you're right you can smoke and drink at any age, it's just you can purchase it before a certain age.

Umm you're reasoning makes sense Bones, expect for the fact that they had Grade 13 up until 5 or so years ago... so people would still be drinking in highschool. I heard somewhere the reason why it's 19 here and 21 in the states is due to Lobying on the part of Insurance companies because they were losing millions to teenage drunk drivers. This makes sense but I still don't agree with it.
I did some research, and you're not supposed be denied purchase of anything when you're over 17, because you're legally an adult and to do so would be descrimination. However while reading the liquor act it says, "however this right is not violated when concerning the sale of liquor." I dont quite get how they can just say "no it doesnt" when it clearly does... It's a joke to be able to vote, drive and join the army and fight and die, and still not be able to legally purchase a beer in your home town...

g2

Not like it matters, I never had trouble getting my hands on whatever restricted substances my friends and I wanted in high school.

/g2

Flint Bones

According to the wonderful lobbyists, it is supposed to be impossible to buy such things. You just can't go downtown and buy drugs. That isn't possible. And there is now way on hell that someone can use something like a "fake ID" to buy booze. I don't think that can happen.

Flint Bones

ChrisWinsor wrote: »

Ya you're right you can smoke and drink at any age, it's just you can purchase it before a certain age.

Umm you're reasoning makes sense Bones, expect for the fact that they had Grade 13 up until 5 or so years ago... so people would still be drinking in highschool. ..

Actually that is why it made more sense (though not to me). Think about it. While going up to OAC almost everyone in Gr 13 would be 18, at least they all would be by the end of December. Only a small group of students would be 19 by the end of the school year in Grade 13. It sounds silly but it is true. With the age moved to 19 it elminated a huge percentage of kids that would be legal to drink in highschool.

ChrisWinsor

Oh I agree it's a joke, you can get what ever you want when you're underaged, but I was just thinking it's so ridiculous to have the voting age/join the army age/driving age, lower than the drinking age. If anything I think you should be drinking before you learn how to drive so you know what the effects of alcohol are first hand...