legal drinking ages vary from country to country....is it a little extreme that it's 21 in the united states?

@meggie i thought that in the uk if you were at the pub with your parents they could serve you alcohol if you were under 18. is that right? i know that's the case in some european countries...or was.

@beermeplease You can drink alcohol with a meal in a restaurant from age 16 if it is bought for you. At home, it is illegal to give alcohol to a child under 5.

@SunshineGirl i think you mean under 15....i hope...lol

@beermeplease No, definitely 5. There are cultural contexts in which a parent may wish to introduce their child to alcohol in a family setting. But it's a criminal offence below the age of 5.

@SunshineGirl so at what age can i smoke a joint with my kid? 6... weed is by far more safe than alcohol. but i guess its not legal over there like it is here. but you get my point. right?

@beermeplease Illegal at any age (although you can buy cannabis oil for pain relief). It sounds weird, but many young people will try drinking illegally with their friends anyway, so I guess there has to be a legal avenue for parents to introduce alcohol in a safe environment. Not for my family though.

@SunshineGirl when i was around 15 we would go out to a local restaurant. it was a pizza joint and we were regulars. my parents would allow me a couple of beers and the restaurant would serve them to me as long as i was discreet.