So you have just turned 21. Better yet – you are under 21 and you are curious of your legal drinking opportunities. Maybe you are even a middle-aged adult exploring the potential setbacks of the law and alcohol. No matter what the reason is, there is always a good one for knowing the facts of alcohol and how the law pertains to them.
As a bail bondsman in Oklahoma City, Laurie Poole can attest firsthand to the number of people that have no idea they are breaking the law when it comes to their experiences with alcohol. This is exactly why Laurie is setting out to change that.
Purchasing Alcohol
It does not take a genius to know that purchasing alcohol for someone under the age of 21 is illegal. It also does not take a genius to know that fake IDs are illegal. If you are under the age of 21, purchasing alcohol is illegal. What many people do not realize is that even if you did not supply minors with alcohol, if you are the only adult present at the time, you will still most likely get slapped with a charge for supplying alcohol to minors.
Public Alcohol Consumption
While it is legal to drink alcohol in most places if you are above the age of 21, there are lines that should be drawn and never crossed. While working in the Oklahoma bail bonds business, Laurie has had the pleasure of helping numerous clients with disorderly conduct charges.
The thing is . . . if you are drinking in public, be smart about it. Do not get so drunk that you cannot handle yourself in public because that is when police start getting called. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a beer or two with your friends in a place that legally permits you to.
Drinking and Driving Legally
Too many people assume that because you can technically drive after you have been drinking if your blood alcohol level/content is below the legal limit, that it is a good idea to drink and drive. The fact of the matter is that unless you have access to a device that will read you your BAC, you should avoid the situation entirely.
Of course there are exceptions – for example, if you have one glass of wine or one cocktail in the beginning of the night and you are drinking non-alcoholic fluids for the rest of the night, you can probably drive home without worrying. In the end, just use your commonsense. If you find that you are lacking it, chances are you are too drunk to drive anyway.
Drinking Under 21
Underage drinking has become a huge problem. Laurie can attest to that firsthand; pulling from her experience working as a bail bondsman in OKC. Regardless, kids are probably always going to drink so at the very least, they should be doing it the legal way.
The sad thing is that the laws are often contradictory and vary state to state. For example, in California it is legal for a person under the age of 21 to have alcohol on private property but it is illegal for someone 21+ to supply a minor with alcohol – no exceptions. If you are underage and you desire the opportunity to drink, you should look into your state’s specific laws and go from there.