Why do they think they can "ID" thorugh a website? And why would they need to anyway?

[Bruce_B]

This is something that's bugged me for a long time. Every website of an alcoholic beverage producer asks you to enter your birth date before they let you enter the site. This ranks up there with some of the silliest things I've seen in this world. First of all, anyone who can manage to get themselves online, can also easily figure out a date to enter that gets them in. I put the year as 1776 on one just for fun :D. Secondly, it's not like you can have a drink over the Internet (unfortunately).

Underage people see TV and billboard adds for these products all the time. They can browse the shelves at many grocery stores and even have a look around a liquor store. Why would a company not want them to look at their website, and what makes them think they can stop them?

I don't mean to rant, but it's just so nonsensical to me. I did actually run across one site that didn't ask for age though: http://www.demrum.com/

[Count Silvio]

They use them because they have to use them. That way it is not their fault if someone underage gets into trouble. Its a law thing.

[Bruce_B]

They use them because they have to use them. That way it is not their fault if someone underage gets into trouble. Its a law thing.

You might be right, but I don't see what's illegal about a minor seeing a website about an alcoholic beverage.

[RobertBurr]

idiots think it makes the web site safer, but it certainly keeps out only the most severe idiots, so it's a placebo barrier meant to satisfy those easily alarmed by the controversial aspects of allowing free access to all.

[Capn Jimbo]

Burr is actually a 13 year old Dr. Pepper drinker from Idaho, obviously up well past his bedtime. This is what happens when you don't have a good ID feature...

[Edward Hamilton]

This question came up in an interview this afternoon and the short answer is that in the US, ID checks are in place solely to satisfy a paranoia about promoting alcohol to minors.

It is very politically incorrect to advertise alcohol to those who are not of legal age, there doesn't seem, however, to be any paranoia about promoting guns or porn to 12 year olds.

I haven't put an id check in place and don't see it in the near future though I do ask for your birth date when registering for the forum. I may put an age question on the front page in the future but it will be something like "Are you willing to tell me that you drink legally and responsibly."

[RobertBurr]

I may put an age question on the front page in the future but it will be something like "Are you willing to tell me that you drink legally and responsibly."

don't turn me into a liar

[JMac]

Its a legal requirement that has to be satisfied. In the province of BC the LCLA states that a person must be 19 years of age to purchase, possess, or consume alcohol.

For websites it doesn't make sense as anyone can come up with a DOB that makes them 21 years or older. But in my experience legality often doesn't coincide with logic or reason.

[RumBarPhilly]

Its a legal requirement that has to be satisfied. In the province of BC the LCLA states that a person must be 19 years of age to purchase, possess, or consume alcohol.

For websites it doesn't make sense as anyone can come up with a DOB that makes them 21 years or older. But in my experience legality often doesn't coincide with logic or reason.

90% of the "Stupid" drunks we kick out of the bar are between 21 and 24. I could only imagine what its be like for 19 year olds to drink. Oy vey!

Speaking of which, I thought the legal age in canada was 18?

[Paulipbartender]

And in the UK.....pubs and bars full of 18 year olds - drunk then vomiting. Just be thankful you don't have those Philly

The site age statements are really just a way for the drinks industry to demonstrate to the puritans and health lobby that they can self-police. In this country the health lobby have successfully crushed all freedom to choose regarding smoking, banning it from all public places, and now the campaigners with time on their hands are turning on the industry.

All sorts of draconian policies are being publicly debated - from massive taxation hikes to restricted licensing hours. The industry needs to keep it's nose real clean so as not to add fuel to the minority who see it as their moral duty to impose their values on everyone else.

Just on this subject - when the UK Budweiser site launched, if you entered an age which was under 18 you got the message 'Are you sure? You must be 18 to enter this site' :)

[Tiare]

The situation in Sweden is exactly the same, if not even worse..here you are controlled and triple controlled everywhere with everything.There was a real hard battle to stop the EU descision to allow legal import of spirits from other EU countries ending that we now can import but we are supposed to pay double taxes.

[Bruce_B]

Oddly enough, none of the sites I've been to that actually sell spirits have this silly age requirement. You can browse these sites all you want and apparently even order from them without entering your age. They just say an adult signature is required upon delivery.

[Edward Hamilton]

Just on this subject - when the UK Budweiser site launched, if you entered an age which was under 18 you got the message 'Are you sure? You must be 18 to enter this site' :)

In the US, Anheuser Busch has been reprimanded for packaging alcopops to look like soda and then claimed that they were not targeting younger drinkers. The packaging was so ambiguous that many convenience store clerks didn't even know the product was alcoholic. Of course they denied claims that they were marketing to kids while they pulled the product and repackaged it.

[JMac]

90% of the "Stupid" drunks we kick out of the bar are between 21 and 24. I could only imagine what its be like for 19 year olds to drink. Oy vey!

Speaking of which, I thought the legal age in canada was 18?

No...the majority of provinces are 19 with the exception of Quebec which is 18.