# Was My Mother Breaking the Law? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 9, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756 "2013-10-09T05:58:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/1 "2013-10-09T05:58:01Z")
First off, I feel compelled to say, I had an exceptional mother. That having been said, I do have a very unique memory from my childhood involving my mother. When I was very sick with a cold or the flu, my mother would bring me this mysterious concoction. It was in an ornate jigger glass we had. And I couldn’t figure out at first what it even was. It was kind of syrupy–I later learned it did have honey in it, and lemon juice. But there was this third ingredient that I couldn’t quite place my finger on. I know it always made me feel better, if only subjectively. My mother later told me what it was. Honey, Lemon and a very very small amount (my mother claimed) of blended whiskey. She got the idea from her sister-in-law, who got it from her mother. It apparently is an old, family folk remedy of sorts. This brings up an interesting question. Was my mother breaking the law? I know in this modern era, you are not supposed to give your children alcohol for beverage purposes. On the other hand, many children’s cold remedies are already loaded with ethyl alcohol–probably even more than my mother was giving me with this. For legal purposes, this was in the state of Michigan in the late 70’s or early 80’s. Also, would it be legal by today’s legal standards? Anyways, it was a long time ago, and my mother died in 1996. So it would be too late for anyone to get in trouble for it now. But could she have back then? :):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/2 "2013-10-09T06:00:25Z")
Who would have ratted her out, even if it was illegal? I do not think it is but you are talking about MI… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/3 "2013-10-09T06:12:00Z")
The laws vary by state, of course. I know that it is legal for parents to serve alcohol to their minor children at home in Maine but illegal in New Hampshire. If [this page](http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/Most-States-in-US-Permit-Drinking-Under-the-Age-of-21.html#.UlTyOhC1tos) is to be believed, it is probably currently illegal in Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/4 "2013-10-09T07:23:35Z")
What kind of mother brings her child up on _blended_ whiskey? Nonetheless, [here](http://drinkingage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=00259) is an excellent breakdown of laws regarding exceptions to under-age drinking (though I can’t vouch for the accuracy of it). Here is the first column of their chart (the actual page has hyperlinks, state lists and much more information): > [@](#): > > 1. on private, non alcohol-selling premises, with parental consent in 29 states > _Examples: private home, private office, or private property with parental presence and consent_ > > 2. on private, non alcohol-selling premises, without parental consent in 6 states > _Examples: private home, private office, or private property without parental consent or presence_ > > 3. for religious purposes in 25 states > _Example: drinking wine during a church ceremony_ > > 4. for medical purposes in 16 states > _Example: medical treatment prescribed or administered by a licensed physician_ > > 5. for government work related purposes in 4 states > \*Examples: working undercover with police and participating in government research > > - > > 1. for educational purposes in 11 states > _Example: students in culinary school_ > > 2. when reporting medical need due to underage drinking for another minor in 17 states and DC > _Example: underage drinker calls 911 to report medical emergency for another underage drinker_ > > 3. on alcohol-selling premises, with parental approval in 11 states > _Examples: restaurant, bar, or a venue where alcohol is sold_ ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/5 "2013-10-09T07:46:40Z")
This was pretty common practice when/where I grew up (70s New Zealand). ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/6 "2013-10-09T07:50:46Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Nonetheless, [here](http://drinkingage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=00259) is an excellent breakdown of laws regarding exceptions to under-age drinking (though I can’t vouch for the accuracy of it). Your link appears broken. [This](http://drinkingage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002591) link works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/7 "2013-10-09T08:05:31Z")
real cough medicines probably contain alcohol anyway. And you can substitute vanilla essence. Its just as strong as whiskey. "mother charges with providing vanilla drink to child, as it contained alcohol " … not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/8 "2013-10-09T08:12:09Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > My mother later told me what it was. Honey, Lemon and a very very small amount (my mother claimed) of blended whiskey. She got the idea from her sister-in-law, who got it from her mother. It apparently is an old, family folk remedy of sorts. An old universal remedy - I still make this when I have a cold (here in the UK). I add some raw ginger and maybe some cloves to help clear the sinuses. The booze just takes the edge off the symptoms. I think it was also pretty common to put a drop of whisky/brandy into babies milk to help them off to sleep, or dip a dummy into whisky to sooth teething. I doubt anyone would have cared when you were growing up. Of course, social services are much hotter on responsible parenting these days. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/9 "2013-10-09T09:33:32Z")
Do you have ‘gripe water’ over there? It was used for wind, lack of wind, constipation, diarrhoea, colic, hiccups, stomach upsets, coughing, bad form, bad breath, fever. In fact, for any ailment you could think of, gripe water seemed to be the answer. Since it contained somewhere between 3.6% and 8% alcohol, one can only assume that babies in the first half of the 20th century were mostly smashed, most of the time. Sadly, it no longer contains alcohol, although, when my children were babies, we used to add a couple of drops of brandy. When I was a child I think I drank quite a bit of it; Hic! ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/10 "2013-10-09T10:32:32Z")
By the way, anyone else make the connection between the OP ( **Jim B.** ), his mother’s elixir, and [Jim Beam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Beam)? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/11 "2013-10-09T11:44:10Z")
When I was a kid my mother gave me Paregoric for a wide range of maladies. I remember it tasting foul, but it seemed to work. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/12 "2013-10-09T13:12:41Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I think it was also pretty common to put a drop of whisky/brandy into babies milk to help them off to sleep, or dip a dummy into whisky to sooth teething. When my first was teething, my grandmother gave me this time tested advice: “Pour a shot of whisky. Dip your finger into it and rub it over his gums. Drink the rest of the shot. One or both of you will sleep better.” 😃 > [@bob\_2](#): > > Do you have ‘gripe water’ over there? Yes, but like yours, it’s now mostly alcohol free. It’s not very widely used in the mainstream white cultures, but still popular among hippies/alt medicine folks, lower socioeconomic groups and immigrants. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/13 "2013-10-09T13:22:26Z")
Mmmm, cherry liquor chocolates and eggnog when I was eight years old… What? This thread brought up happy memories. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/14 "2013-10-09T13:33:51Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Mmmm, cherry liquor chocolates and eggnog when I was eight years old… I was just thinking of substituting Cherry Heering (big fan) for the whiskey… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/15 "2013-10-09T14:44:40Z")
Your mother could have given you NyQuill, which had something like[20%-25% alcohol](https://www.healthtap.com/topics/can-i-drink-alcohol-while-taking-nyquil). You would have felt great, right up until you fell asleep. If you were able to stay awake after you took mother’s remedy, it probably had less alcohol in it than NyQuill. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/16 "2013-10-09T15:00:41Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Nonetheless, [here](http://drinkingage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=00259) is an excellent breakdown of laws regarding exceptions to under-age drinking (though I can’t vouch for the accuracy of it). Ah. And what are the penalties for breaking these laws? Why? Oh, no reason… ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/17 "2013-10-09T15:02:26Z")
I doubt it is illegal. I know in most provinces in Canada, the guardian can allow their child to drink. In some provinces, it is even legal to serve a minor alcohol in a restaurant if their guardian is present and permits it. Of course, the same laws about child abuse and such apply if the serving of alcohol is not done responsibly, and it only applies to your child - you can’t serve other underage persons alcohol, that’s “Providing alcohol to a minor”. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/18 "2013-10-09T17:09:23Z")
I can remember taking novahistine elixir back when it still had chloroform in it … instead of the codeine it has today:eek: I loved that stuff, would always dry up the sinuses [one thing that chloroform was seriously good at] and get me to be able to fall asleep. I have issues falling asleep with plugged sinuses, I would rather be actively nauseated than stuffed up. [OK, you Brits can stop giggling now…:dubious::rolleyes:] ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/19 "2013-10-09T17:21:29Z")
A hot toddy, we called them. I was weaned on them. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756/20 "2013-10-09T19:12:36Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > A hot toddy, we called them. I was weaned on them. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This My parents used them on all of us (7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-mother-breaking-the-law/670756.md?page=2)