Before I was born, my parents could legally drink at 18. But by the time they had me, the legal drinking age had changed to 21. Why was the age raised, and are there any exceptions? Let’s take a look:
Why change the drinking age to 21?
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), “A review by the U.S. General Accounting Office, conducted in 1988, found that raising the drinking age reduced youth drinking, youth driving after drinking, and alcohol-related traffic accidents among youth.”
Can minors drink alcohol with their parents in Ohio?
If you’re a minor living at home, you may still be able to drink alcohol under your parents’ supervision.
Ohio law provides some legal ways for those under 21 to drink, but only with parental permission and oversight.
The Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) prohibits both the consumption and purchase of alcohol by anyone under 21. However, there are a few exceptions:
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You are at your parent’s private residence and
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Your parent is present
This exception also applies to parents furnishing alcohol to their children, but only within their private home.
Still, the FTC urges families to follow the drinking age laws strictly, stating, “Injuries from teen drinking are not inevitable and reducing teen access to alcohol is a national priority.”
