Is Québec’s drinking culture like that of France’s or of like the rest of Canada. By France I mean they let teens drink without carding, most meals come with wine, and you alcohol is less stigmatized

Question

djat1984 · Answer

In Quebec and the rest of Canada for that matter, laws are very strict when it comes to underage drinking. It used to be more relax a few years back though. As for France, I have no idea of their drinking habits.

pythonpoole · Answer

Alcohol purchase/consumption laws are handled by individual provinces.

Quebec, in general, is more relaxed when it comes to their drinking laws.

For example, Quebec is one of the only provinces that permits the sale of alcohol at local corner/convenience stores.

The minimum purchase age for alcohol in Quebec (18) is also lower than the minimum purchase age in most other provinces, such as next door in Ontario (where it's 19).

Quebec is also the only province (that I'm aware of) which permits public drinking on unlicensed premises (under certain conditions).

For example, if you are having a meal/picnic at a public park, then you can generally have a glass of wine with your meal in Quebec whereas that would normally subject you to a ticket/fine in other provinces.

It's currently illegal (but not a crime) for Quebec restaurants or other liquor-licensed premises to serve alcohol to children under 18, however it is not illegal for someone under 18 to accept and consume alcohol they have been served.

As for at home alcohol consumption? It's largely up to parents to decide when they will allow their children to consume alcohol at home. It's not illegal for children to consume alcohol at home with their parents in Quebec.

More information is available here: https://www.educaloi.qc.ca/en/youth/capsules/alcohol-can-you-buy-and-drink-it

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I disagree with @djat1984's assessment that "laws are very strict when it comes to underage drinking" in Canada. This is not accurate in my opinion. The laws in Canada regarding underage drinking are much more relaxed when compared to a country like the United States.

Firstly, underage drinking is not a crime anywhere in Canada. Serving alcohol to a minor is also not a crime.

There are some provinces where serving alcohol to a minor or consuming alcohol while you are underage is considered a provincial offense, but these are much less serious (non-criminal) offenses. This is in contrast to countries like the US where you can be criminally charged for underage drinking.

Secondly, many provinces in Canada (not just Quebec) allow children to consume alcohol at home in a private setting with parental supervision. Ontario is one example that has an explicit statutory exception that allows children to drink alcohol in private places when the drinks are supplied by their parents.

So, in general, I would say that Canada's attitude toward alcohol consumption (at least from a legal perspective) is relaxed and more influenced by European culture than American culture (especially in but not limited to the province of Quebec).

kuzzy · Answer

@pythonpoole This is true in fact in a private place like home my parents let me try a sip while I was underaged just to see if I liked alcohol... I didn't. 😅 But yeah it's not a huge crime to drink alcohol even if you are underage, there are just specific conditions to it.

Arkatoon · Answer

I agree with everything @pythonpoole said. For the part of the question about the habit to drink wine with most meal, it varies a lot, but it tends to be less usual in Quebec than in France. Also, the consumption of alcohol is not stigmatized. It is well accepted to drink occasionally, especially on weekend. As long a it is with moderation.

Is Québec’s drinking culture like that of France’s or of like the rest of Canada. By France I mean they let teens drink without carding, most meals come with wine, and you alcohol is less stigmatized Vedi una traduzione

In Quebec and the rest of Canada for that matter, laws are very strict when it comes to underage drinking. It used to be more relax a few years back though. As for France, I have no idea of their drinking habits.

@pythonpoole This is true in fact in a private place like home my parents let me try a sip while I was underaged just to see if I liked alcohol... I didn't. 😅 But yeah it's not a huge crime to drink alcohol even if you are underage, there are just specific conditions to it.

Is Québec’s drinking culture like that of France’s or of like the rest of Canada. By France I mean they let teens drink without carding, most meals come with wine, and you alcohol is less stigmatized