What is the legal drinking age in Mexico? Don’t know? Read the following article to find out.
Different countries have set different age limits for the legal drinking age in their country. In this following piece, we will get into the details of the legal drinking age in Mexico, and discuss other factors that are connected to this topic. Continue reading for an understanding of the same.
Drinking Age in Mexico
The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18. What makes this fact interesting is that in most parts of the world, this age has been set at 21.
Interestingly, the legal age to drink in Mexico and the legal age when people can start voting is the same. That might be the connection of how the drinking and the voting age is maintained at the same number in the Mexican culture. Because, the age at which a citizen of any nation is allowed to vote, means that he is considered to be mature and old enough to understand things in order to make sane decisions, without being overridden by immaturity or underdeveloped thoughts and concepts. By that logic, if a person is old enough to think about his country and take an informed decision about leaders, he is old enough to understand what alcoholism means, what the side effects of alcohol are, and what his/her limits are.
Even though the legal drinking age is maintained at 18, it is a tradition that is rarely followed in Mexico. It is fairly easy to purchase alcohol even before one has turned this age. If one cannot buy it themselves, they can ask someone else to buy it for them.
Wristbands for Legality
The Mexicans have a system in place, especially for tourists who visit Mexican resorts. When you register yourselves at a hotel, you will be asked your age along with the other details. According to your age, a colored bracelet will be issued to you which will be indicative of your age. It is necessary that you wear this bracelet at all times. This will help bartenders or liquor store owners to identify whether you are of a legal age or not.
Even though this rule exists, there are cases where young adults and minors have violated it. They have simply not worn the band or have produced fake IDs when on a Mexican vacation.
The rule is usually relaxed if the parents vouch for the minor child. It is also reported that the hotels and shops are very poor at enforcing this law and that is why it is easy for young adults to purchase alcohol from one source or the other.
There have been reports that if found with alcohol when you aren’t of the legal drinking age, there will be tiffs with the law.
There are several countries which have similar restrictions. In fact, the legal drinking age in Canada comes close to that set by Mexico, whereas Greece, Germany, Belgium, and Poland have set the legal drinking age at 16. Then again, there are some countries like Jamaica, Vietnam, and Ghana that have not set a legal drinking age at all.
The legal age for drinking alcoholic drinks in Mexico is 18, but rarely is this rule followed. There is an urgent need for the government to change policies and reform rules to ensure that this non-conforming attitude does not lead to alcohol addiction in many, especially the minors.
