IMPORTANT question regarding AlCOHOL laws

[Your Captain]

The Enlgish laws state:

1. An adult (18+) is not allowed to buy anyone below 18 alcohol unless its at a resturant with a full meal and only can be a glass of beer, cider or wine.
2. A person aged 5-16 may drink alcohol at home or other private premises.

I am not sure if i am being an idiot or not. But, these laws contradict eachother.
Because alcohol can only be bought by an adult and not given to anyone below 18. So where does the alcohol allowed to be drunk at home come from?

[project_icarus]

Parents/guardians can administer alcohol on private, unlicenced premises. That's my understanding, anyway.

[Elliott_hn]

good point.

[Elysium]

It seems like a silly technicality, but it appears to me that you can't buy alcohol with the intention of giving it to a minor unless under the specific circumstances mentioned, or that the second rule is an exception to the first.

[James Dean]

It's made to prevent kids who hang outside a store asking someone to buy liquor for them.

When you are under supervision of your parents in a private setting, it's a different matter so the same principles don't apply.

[Meh Guy]

They do, however it is assumed that parents/guardians take responsibility of their children and are responsible enough to make a decision on wether or not to give alcohol to their kid. It's kind of like a movie you're under age for, go with a parent and its fine.

[Leprous]

The Enlgish laws state:

1. An adult (18+) is not allowed to buy anyone below 18 alcohol unless its at a resturant with a full meal and only can be a glass of beer, cider or wine.
2. A person aged 5-16 may drink alcohol at home or other private premises.

I am not sure if i am being an idiot or not. But, these laws contradict eachother.
Because alcohol can only be bought by an adult and not given to anyone below 18. So where does the alcohol allowed to be drunk at home come from?

Here in Belgium any 16 year old is allowed to buy alcohol, and people think that's weird? Your post kinda made no sense, not saying YOU made no sense but the law makes no sense.

[MrIncredible]

Yea that makes no sense

[audiophile5]

If you're 16 or older, an adult is allowed to buy beer, cider or wine for you in a restaurant, as an addition to your meal. So you are not allowed to go to a guy in the supermarket and ask him to buy you a bottle of vodka. Or wine, or anything. That's the first law. You cannot BUY for someone under 18.

As for the second one, if you're 10 and you're having a Christmas dinner with your family and your dad pours you half a glass of wine to toast with the others, he's allowed to do that. If you're over 5, you parent/legal guardian is allowed to give you alcohol, since he's responsible for you.

I see them as quite different, since the first refers to buying alcohol to someone under 18 (since it does not mention that people under 18 are not allowed to DRINK, they are not allowed to buy. If your parent/legal guardian gives you the green light, you're good to go).

[xChrisVx]

If you're 16 or older, an adult is allowed to buy beer, cider or wine for you in a restaurant, as an addition to your meal. So you are not allowed to go to a guy in the supermarket and ask him to buy you a bottle of vodka. Or wine, or anything. That's the first law. You cannot BUY for someone under 18.

As for the second one, if you're 10 and you're having a Christmas dinner with your family and your dad pours you half a glass of wine to toast with the others, he's allowed to do that. If you're over 5, you parent/legal guardian is allowed to give you alcohol, since he's responsible for you.

I see them as quite different, since the first refers to buying alcohol to someone under 18 (since it does not mention that people under 18 are not allowed to DRINK, they are not allowed to buy. If your parent/legal guardian gives you the green light, you're good to go).

Just to add a small point to this.

Regarding the first law, it is true that an adult can buy for a person aged 14 or under (at least its 14 in Scotland) in a restaurant when having a meal, but this is also dependent on the terms of the establishment's license. The license may prevent the establishment from doing this.

On the second point, it obviously does not give you a free pass to go and get drunk in your house simply because your parents said so. Doing this may land yourself, or your parents in bother