At the end of the 20th century, much of North America changed its legal drinking age (MLDA) as follows: In Spain, every state or region should follow the legal law on the legal drinking age of 18. No exemption. If a shop or bar does not need an ID card and turns out to have sold alcohol to minors, a fine will be imposed. An identity card issued at the local town hall can be used as age verification. [161] However, this card is rarely used as a passport or the driver`s licence is more commonly used. [162] The minimum age for legal alcohol consumption in Spain, as in many other countries, is 18. You`ll be surprised to learn that national laws don`t usually refer to on-site alcohol consumption, but rather to outdoor spaces such as bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and unlicensed spaces. This usually means that a child can drink an alcoholic beverage at home at the discretion of the parents. So there you have it. If you`re planning to visit Spain and experience the country`s rich drinking tradition, spectacular local festivals, and bar culture, make sure you do it responsibly and stay out of trouble. In the 1970s, provincial and state policymakers in Canada and the United States switched to lower MLDAs (set at 21 in most provinces, territories and states) to coincide with the age of judicial majority – usually 18. As a result, MLDAs have been reduced in all Canadian provinces [and] in more than half of U.S. states.
In Canada, however, two provinces, Ontario (1979) and Saskatchewan (1976), rapidly increased their subsequent AOMLs from ages 18 to 19 in response to some studies showing a link between lowering the drinking age and increasing alcohol-related harms among adolescents and young adults, including increases in motor vehicle crashes and alcohol poisoning among high school students. Following the reduction of AMRs in the United States, research conducted in several states provided convincing evidence of a sharp increase in fatal and non-fatal traffic accident rates that occurred immediately after the introduction of a lower age for drinking. These scientific discoveries increased public pressure on legislators to increase MLDAs, and in response, the federal government introduced the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which required a reduction in highway funding for states if they did not increase their MLDA to 21. All states complied and introduced a 21-year MLDA in 1988. [39] It should be noted that the legal drinking age prohibits persons 18 years of age and under from purchasing alcoholic beverages, but they are not prohibited from drinking them. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to drink alcohol if you are under 18 years old in Spain, only if you are not the one who bought it and if you consume it indoors. The minimum age to consume alcohol in Barcelona or Madrid is the same as in the rest of Spain: 18 years. Spain has clear laws on this issue and a quick look at official statistics would show that teenagers start drinking alcohol around the age of 13 or 14. Culturally, the age of alcohol consumption seems to be much more permissive than actual laws.
Previously, non-Muslim foreign residents had to apply for a liquor license to purchase alcoholic beverages, but these holders were prohibited from giving drinks to others. [115] The legal drinking age is 18 in Abu Dhabi (although a Ministry of Tourism regulation allows hotels to serve alcohol only to people over 21) and 21 in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (with the exception of Sharjah, where alcohol consumption is prohibited). [113] If you want to drive in Madrid (or anywhere in Spain), the law states that your blood alcohol level must be below a certain limit. However, it is highly recommended not to drink or drive under any circumstances, as the limit can easily be exceeded with a single drink, depending on your body weight, fatigue, gender, and food intake, among other factors. In the case of petrol stations, they should not be allowed to sell alcohol containing more than 20 degrees of alcohol. When it comes to drinking in restaurants and bars, as long as you are supervised by elderly people, the waiters will serve the minors without question. You may have to order them for yourself, but as long as you don`t overdo it and put the establishment in danger of being punished, you should be fine. However, this is not the case in all countries of the world. In the United States, for example, the legal age is 21 and in Canada it is 19.
In addition, there are countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria or the Nordic countries where 16-year-olds are legally allowed to consume low-alcohol or moderate beverages (beer, wine). Harmful places: Spanish law does not allow children and young people under the age of 18 to stay in these places. If parents or guardians admit (or even accompany) the children, this may be considered a criminal offence and they may lose guardianship. The same goes for kombucha. It is a fermented drink, so it may contain alcohol from fermentation. However, in grocery stores, kombucha can usually be found in the non-alcoholic section. This drink is also allowed in the Muslim religion (which strictly prohibits alcohol) and is considered halal. However, when it comes to possessing or selling drugs in a private place, the laws in Spain can be harsh. Many tourists see cannabis clubs in places like Barcelona and assume that local police will turn a blind eye to any drug use, but in Spain there are strict drug and alcohol laws in these cases. Even if you have a small amount of drugs in a public place, you can be arrested and imprisoned, while those caught selling drugs can be prosecuted and sentenced to jail. Anyone who sells to minors or possesses particularly large quantities of drugs may be punished by up to 21 years.
In Spain, the national minimum age for the purchase and consumption of alcohol is 16 years. Also, if you try to buy alcohol in a store after 10pm in Spain, you will be turned away. The sale of alcohol after 10 p.m. is illegal in Spain. It is possible to find stores that sell you alcohol after 10 years, but it is 100% illegal and if you get caught, you will be punished. Each country has different laws. If you plan to visit Spain, make sure you know some of its simple laws, just like the legal age to avoid going to the police station on vacation. Here are a few things you should know about drinking age: Some states don`t allow people under the legal age to be present at liquor stores or bars (generally, the difference between a bar and a restaurant is that food is only served in the latter). Contrary to popular belief, only a few states prohibit minors and young adults from consuming alcohol in private places. There is no situation where you should drink and drive. Period.
The legal limit is 250 micrograms of alcohol per liter for a breathalyzer test and 0.5 grams per liter in your bloodstream if you had to have a blood test. If you have been driving for 2 years or less, the amount allowed in a breathalyzer test is 150 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. In recent years, there have been problems with underage alcohol consumption in Spain. You can hear locals talking about Botellón, which literally translates to „big bottle,” a practice where teenagers hang out on the street and get drunk. The government has proposed that underage drinkers and their families be fined if caught, but the more liberal Podemos party has suggested offering family counseling instead to address the root cause of the problem. In many areas, shops selling to underage drinkers are subject to heavy fines or closure. Shops and supermarkets need a license to sell alcohol, but they can do so without any problems once that license is in place. Minors are also prohibited from purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol on licensed premises where they can also be fined up to $10,000. However, the authorities have rarely imposed this on minors. Spain is a popular holiday destination, and for many people, that means enjoying a few drinks and soaking up the sun. For others, however, it means excessive alcohol consumption and perhaps even the use of illegal substances, which can lead them to end up on the wrong side of Spain`s drug and alcohol laws.
Unfortunately, some Britons see Spain as a fairly liberal and open place to drink and party without consequences, but it is easy for them to clash with the Spanish authorities, who often do not hesitate to put drunk tourists in cells at night. Here is some information about the laws surrounding alcohol and drug use in Spain to help you avoid legal problems. Which drinks are non-alcoholic, apart from the most obvious ones? The following drinks can be found in Spanish grocery stores: At the national level, the consumption of alcohol in public spaces, streets, facilities or public transport in Spain is classified as a minor offense. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been additional strict rules against gatherings in public places affecting young people who are used to gathering to drink. As we all know, Spain is famous for producing high-quality wine, so it wouldn`t hurt to let miners take just a sip so they know what it`s like. The law refers to the purchase or sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, but if the parent is the one who gave them, this is an exception, but only a minimum amount that minors can taste. There is technically no age limit for drinking at home.