As a lot of people in the northern United States know, that when you turn 19 it is a lot of fun to go drink in Canada. I have however heard recently of rumors of legislation passed that doesn’t allow Americans to drink in Canada unless they are 21. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Specific links to this law or places talking about this law would really be appreciated if you have them too! I have searched pretty hard. Thanks.
I cannot officially confirm it but I live in Seattle and I have heard local teens bitching about it, especially the ones who go to Western Washington University which is about 10 mins. from the border.
I have never heard of any such thing, and I know that there are plenty of 18-21 Americans who come up to Montreal to bar-hop (I met one the other night)…
It is perfectly legal for Americans to drink in Canada if they of legal age to drink in the Province. If you step across the border, get soused, and step back, you can be charged with being a minor under the influence, and adults that make the trip with you can be charged with contributing to the deliquency of a minor.
“if they are of legal age”, that is.
Sorry, I don’t have any links, but I can tell you that when 19-year-olds from Seattle come up to Vancouver their I.D. is accepted with no hassle. Anecdotal evidence is gonna have to suffice.
It seems to me that legislation to keep Americans from spending their money in Canada is about as likely as [insert sarcastic analogy here] and would be considered discrimination, anyway.
Complete nonsense; an urban legend.
Note also that the drinking age is 19 in most provinces, but only 18 in Quebec.
The drinking age is only 18 in Alberta, as well. I have quite a few friends who travelled there upon turning 18, since I’m in a province where the legal drinking age is 19.
Since that kind of legislation hasn’t been passed for Canadians travelling for the drinking age, I don’t see it being passed for Americans.
Actually, drinking ages bounce up and down as you go between provinces. 19 in BC, 18 in Alberta, 19 in the next province, and so on and so forth.
I have no idea why this is.
But what’s really stupid is drinking ages of 21. I was in South Carolina many years back when I got carded and turned down in a hotel. It’s a mighty shame when you’re married, you’ve been legal for 2 years, and suddenly you can’t get a drink because you stepped off a plane.
Yep, we can get drafted and sent off to some useless war and DIE at eighteen, but we can’t buy a frigging beer. Stupid, isn’t it?
I don’t live anywhere near Canada but had my first legal drink there when I was 20. I was really disappointed when they didn’t card me. I mean, I LOOKED about fifteen…
Move to the US.
We don’t have a draft.
The voting age is 18. You can use your voting rights to get the laws changed.
The irony’s getting a little thick here…
a. She IS in the U.S.
b. She’s female, so can’t be drafted in the U.S.
Does the US government even have the power to prohibit its citizens from drinking outside the US? It doesn’t seem to have the power to even prohibit it inside the US, only coerce the states themselves to prohibit it. However it does have the power to prohibit us from buying Cuban cigars in Canada, but really can’t enforce that. From what I can tell, Canada does not care about the US’s opinion in the matter, and does not try to stop US citizens from violating the US’s embargo of Cuba.
Nobody outside of the U.S. understands the American government’s position on Cuba. It seems so silly.
Canada (as well as the US, Australia, and Sweden,) applies laws about the sexual-exploitation of children extra-territorially, to try to discourage people travelling to backwards countries specifically to have sex with underage prostitutes. This is just about the only instance where this approach seems sensible to me. Otherwise, “When in Rome…”
Ahh but it would never work. Nobody old enough to run for office really gives a damn if 18 19 and 20 year olds can’t drink. They might of in their partying college years, but nobody seriously wants to have a platform to lower the drinking age. I think it rather odd that I can be charged with a Minor In Posession ( I haven’t though)when I am not concidered to be a minor in the first place. I can vote, join the army, and be put to death (Actually I live in Texas so I could have been put death ever since I learned to speak so that really doesn’t matter)
Ah yes I felt the same way in my youth. I have to register for the draft but they won’t let me buy a beer those bastards. But know with the wisdom of age I understand the desire to not have a bunch of drunk snot nosed little punks cluttering up the bars.
As for the real question I haven’t a clue as to why Canada would want such a law. Can any one think of similar laws in any country? A country (A) which has a law saying people from any other country (B) are subject to the other (B) countries law in our country (A).
I live in Niagara Falls, ON about a 10 min drive from the Canada/US border. We have a thriving bar scene downtown dedicated to 19-20 year old Americans. Several of these bars would probably have to shut down if NY lowered its drinking age.
As an occasional smoker of Cuban cigars, I can also tell you that several Cigar shops near the tourist areas cater almost exclusively to Americans buying Cuban cigars.
Hodge
**Hodge **
Just for a little interesting history on this subject, back in the late sixties, my buddies and I would cross the lower bridge in Niagara Falls to drink at Gabriel’s or Jackson’s ,two bars which catered to Canadian teenagers. Of course back then the drinking age in Ontario was twentyone and eighteen in New York. We started this regular scene when we were 16, old enough to drive to New York state, and with fake ID.
No, the U.S. Government doesn’t have that power. It does, however, have the power to prevent us from bringing those cigars back with us.
Here in Michigan, we went to Canada all the time when I was 19. Fifteen minutes to downtown Windsor when there’s no traffic. Nobody gave it a legal second thought.
However, the State of Michigan now tries to do something about it. The State knows it can’t prevent the kids from doing something legal outside its jurisdiction. Also, there’s no law in Michigan against kids having alcohol in their system (the law only prohibits drinking it). So, we somewhat recently have passed something that makes the DUI/DWI limit for those under 21 something ridiculously low relative to those of the adults.
I assume this is for safety, i.e., kids don’t have the experience to drive just-barely-legal.
>> No, the U.S. Government doesn’t have that power
Looks like you are mistaken: The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
Yes, the government does indeed prohibit US citizens in foreign countries from buying Cuban cigars (thanks sailor). It really cannot possibly enforce this, nor does it try, as far as I know. However, if I were to try to make multimillion dollar contracts with the Cuban government involving a Swiss bank account while on vacation in the Cayman Islands, I don’t think they’d be so permissive, were I ever to try to return to the US.