Alcohal+Regulation

While in some provinces liquor and beer are sold in grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations, others are more strictly regulated. In Ontario, the only place you can buy liquor is the LCBO(Liquor Control Board of Ontario), a government owned private monopoly regulating sales of alcohol. Although other provinces do not have a certain store designated for the purpose of regulated alcohol, their are ways they insure the sales of alcohol are completely legal. Such as having similar privately owned companies which handle the legal distribution of beer and liquor, and most importantly there is a federal law which states that each provinces liquor board must act as the first importer of all alcoholic beverages.

====Founded in 1927, The Beer Store is a chain privately owned by companies such as Labatt, Busch, Molson, Sleeman and Sapporo. The chain is regulated by the AGCO(Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario), and due to the legal monopoly they hold, they are the largest distributor of domestic beer to Ontario bars and restaurants. As of May 2010 there 438 privately owned Beer Stores in Ontario.====

====Throughout the country, the legal age to purchase and consume alcohol varries between 18 or 19. Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec are the three provinces in which the legal age to purchase or consume alcohol is 18, while the rest remain at 19. In 2008 there was speculation as to whether the legal age would be raised to meet that of the United States, but evidently that did not end up happening. Whether purchasing a single beer from the local distributor, or from a pub, if you appear to be under the age of 25, you will be asked to produce a piece of picture identification to varify your age. Although there are many illegal places which make false identification cards, it is usually easy to tell the difference between the real and the fake due to the number of security features of the real government issued i.d. cards.====

Even with these laws and regulations, under aged drinking still takes place. Due to the willingness of either siblings, friends, or even strangers, to supply youth with alcohol, this problem will never disappear.