The only reason I can see someone choosing NA beer over real beer would be alcoholism but that seems to be playing with fire.
Comment on Saw this at the store this morning, took a double take
stopforgettingit@lemmy.world 16 hours agoOk, I did the digging on this because you asked. I actually just assumed because I was carded for NA beer that this was a law.
In the US, federally it is not illegal to sell less than 0.5% without carding. But many states treat NA beer the same as normal beer and they require the person be over 21. In the states that do not require 21 and over for NA beer many (most) stores and bars will still card because its better safe than sorry when it comes to ABC and losing your license.
Rooster326@programming.dev 15 hours ago
stopforgettingit@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
I choose NA beer for that exact reason and its been a really big tool for me to keep my sobriety. It works for some and for others it doesn’t but I am glad its available as an option for me. But had I never started drinking in the first place I would not like beer, so I am not sure why anyone would buy NA beer unless, like me, they are trying to scratch an itch that can’t be scratched like it was before.
ricecake@sh.itjust.works 14 hours ago
Technically the drinking age isn’t a national law at all. Setting the state law to alignment is a precondition for national highway funding. A state can set the age to whatever they want, but the federal government wouldn’t give money for road maintenance.
As such, different states define a prohibited beverage in different ways. Some set the limit based on a set alcohol limit. Others based on intent or similarity, essentially so that they can prevent advertising alcohol^free^ beverages to kids and getting them in the habit at an impressionable age.
Most common is the abv limit based on what’s typically found naturally in juices and such, with limited exceptions for religious ceremonies, parental supervision, or accidental ingestion and such. (Technically speaking, if you call 911 because your 3 year old stole a canned alcoholic beverage off the counter and drank a bunch before you noticed and you’re scared, they would be required to also give you and the child legal penalties without that clause).