Our Is Weed Legal page in Illinois says the law does not allow adults to smoke weed in any of the following places: The national drinking age can help save lives. Since the law was passed: In Illinois, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to drink alcohol. Drinking alcohol before the age of 21 is a Class A offence, the most serious type. This can mean a fine of $2,500 and 1 year in jail. Cities may also have a law on alcohol consumption before the age of 21. Some alcohol laws are national, but others vary from state to state. States also allow certain local communities to establish or enforce certain rules about who can buy, sell, possess or drink alcohol. Blue laws: Some of the first U.S. alcohol laws were “blue laws” that restricted Sunday activities. In some places, laws have been passed to restrict the sale of alcohol on Sundays for religious, moral, health or public safety reasons, such as concerns about excessive alcohol consumption.

You can let your own children drink. You can`t let other kids drink. This rule also applies if you observe them at home. Although the consumption of alcohol by minors is not expressly prohibited by law, the possession of alcohol by minors is prohibited unless the minor is accompanied by a parent or guardian or the person is over 18 years of age and possesses alcohol in the course of employment. According to the Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS), “possession and consumption are closely linked, as consumption generally requires possession.” Source: Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) website (accessed May 21, 2010) Chapter 138: Section 34C 8. In liquor sales premises with parental consent: In some states, the consumption of alcohol by minors is permitted in a place where alcohol is sold, such as a restaurant or bar, if the alcohol is provided to the minor by a legal guardian and the minor is in the presence of his or her legal guardian. Since 1984, the national legal drinking age has been 21. Prior to 1984, each state had its own legal drinking age. Alcohol laws govern almost everything related to the purchase, sale, consumption, or service of alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, or spirits in the United States. 4. For medical purposes: Consumption of alcohol by minors is permitted in some states for medical purposes.

Each state sets its own specific requirements for what is considered legal. 2. On private premises, not selling liquor, without parental consent: The consumption of alcohol by minors is not prohibited in some states in private premises that do not sell liquor, although it may be illegal for adults to provide alcohol to minors in those states. Each state sets its own specific requirements for what is considered legal. Notes: In Texas, a person may purchase an alcoholic beverage for a minor or give an alcoholic beverage to a minor if he or she is the adult`s parent, guardian or spouse of the minor or an adult in whose custody the minor was committed by a court, and he or she is visibly present when the minor possesses or consumes the alcoholic beverage. Notes: The California exception “Any private location” excludes ownership of motor vehicles. California`s alcohol possession law by a person under the age of 21 includes an exception for “responsible adult parents,” but does not specify which parents are included. SIPA interprets the term “responsible adult parent” to include a spouse. Notes: In Texas, a minor may possess an alcoholic beverage if they are in the visible presence of their parent, guardian, or adult spouse. Tex. Alco. Bev.

Code Ann. § 106.05. If you want to enforce the special rule that your child is allowed to drink at home, a parent must be with the child. You can`t let the child drink at home whenever he wants. The law allows the child`s legal guardian to be present in place of a parent. 3. For religious purposes: The consumption of alcohol by minors is permitted in some states for religious purposes. Some states require alcohol to be provided by an official religious representative and/or limit the type of alcohol allowed. Each state sets its own specific requirements for what is considered legal. Blue laws did not significantly restrict alcohol sales: from 1990 to 2004, restrictions on Sunday alcohol sales reduced beer sales by just 2.4 percent and alcohol sales by 3.5 percent. Relaxing alcohol laws can contribute to an increase in alcohol-related accidents and health problems.

After New Mexico repealed its blue law banning the sale of alcohol on Sundays in 1990, the state had 29 percent more alcohol-related car accidents and 42 percent more deaths in those crashes over the next 10 years. 5. For government work purposes: Alcohol consumption by minors is not prohibited in some states if it is related to government or law enforcement missions. These tasks may include government research on underage drinking, undercover work, etc. Each state sets its own specific requirements for what is considered legal. Under national law, an alcoholic beverage is one that contains 0.05% or more alcohol, and most states also follow this rule. Some alcohol laws are made by states or local communities. Some state laws set a legal limit on the amount of alcohol per drink. Most states have laws that restrict happy hours, such as banning free alcoholic beverages with a grocery purchase at a restaurant or bar.

Compliance with this special rule means that if a child is in trouble because he or she drank before the age of 21, that child has a defense against that criminal complaint. There may be other legal issues that arise. For example, parents may have problems with DCFS. The other parent may claim that the parent who allowed the alcohol consumption is inappropriate. The younger the drinkers are and the more they drink, the more problems parents can have. It is not always illegal for people under the age of 21 to drink. In 45 states, laws allow minors to drink in certain situations. Even with this national law, underage drinking is still associated with serious health problems: Editor`s note: It is also illegal for parents to host teen parties that they know involve drinking. Here`s what the Illinois law says about parents throwing teen parties. Is it illegal for me to let my child drink alcohol at home? There is a special rule when parents are there. Children can drink alcohol while their parents watch, but only at home. You can`t let your kids drink in a restaurant or bar.

States that do not follow the national drinking age may lose money. The federal government can withhold up to 10 percent of funds for road maintenance in that state. In recent years, states have begun to relax blue laws. Since 2002, 16 states have amended their liquor laws to allow certain Sunday sales. Notes: As of January 1, 2004, California law imposes liability on social hosts in more limited circumstances than the other laws listed in this table. California law only applies if the minor is under the age of 18, has a blood alcohol level of 0.05% or higher, has been allowed to drive a vehicle, and has caused a traffic accident while driving. See Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 25658.2. Blue laws still exist in some places, including hundreds of “dry” counties where alcohol is completely banned.

Some state counties like Kentucky and Texas are labeled “wet” because their laws allow the sale of beer and wine on Sundays, but not the sale of alcohol. Laws about how much alcohol you need to have in your system, or blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to be considered intoxicated, also vary from state to state. The national standard blood alcohol level is 0.08%, measured in breath, blood or urine. States have different laws on how your blood alcohol level can be measured. 7. When reporting a medical necessity due to the consumption of alcohol by a minor for another minor: In some states, a minor is not punished for consuming alcohol if it turns out that he or she drank alcohol while reporting a medical emergency for another underage drinker. Each state sets its own specific requirements for what is considered legal. An important national alcohol law is the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified in 1933. This change ended prohibition, the national legal prohibition of alcohol, which had been the law of the land since 1919.

The 21st Amendment allowed states to enact their own laws governing the sale, distribution, importation and possession of alcohol. Most state laws require you to present photo ID or government-issued ID to purchase alcohol. Most states require you to be at least 21 to serve alcohol, but some states allow you to serve alcohol at a restaurant if you`re 18 or older. ProCon.org: “States that allow the consumption of alcohol by minors (under 21 years of age)”. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: “Alcohol Policy”. National Alcohol Beverage Control Association: “Sunday Alcohol Sales: History and Analysis.” U.S. National Archives: “Document for December 5: Presidential Proclamation 2065, dated December 5, 1933, announcing the repeal of prohibition.” U.S. Centers for Drug Addiction: “Alcohol Laws and Regulations,” “The Consequences of Providing Alcohol to Minors.” The following question was put to John Roska, a lawyer/writer whose weekly column, “The Law Q&A,” appeared in the Champaign News-Gazette.