Change Of Legal Drinking Age9 min read

The legal drinking age is the age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The age is typically set at 21 years of age in the United States, but some states allow for those aged 18 to consume alcohol under specific circumstances. There has been much debate surrounding the drinking age, with some arguing that it should be lowered to 18 and others pushing to keep it at 21.

Those in favor of lowering the drinking age argue that it is hypocritical to tell young adults that they are adults when they are not allowed to consume alcohol. They also argue that the age should be lowered in order to reduce the number of underage drinkers. Those in favor of keeping the age at 21 argue that it is necessary to protect young people from the dangers of alcohol. They also argue that the age helps to reduce underage drinking.

There have been several attempts to lower the drinking age, but all have failed. In 1984, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed, which required all states to set the drinking age at 21 or lose federal highway funding. As a result, most states chose to raise the drinking age to 21. In recent years, there has been a growing movement to repeal the National Minimum Drinking Age Act.

The debate over the legal drinking age is sure to continue, and there is no clear consensus on what is the best course of action. However, it is important to consider both sides of the argument before making a decision.

Was the drinking age in the US ever 18?

The drinking age in the US has been 21 since 1984, but there was a time when it was 18.

The history of the drinking age in the US is a bit complicated. In the early days of the country, there was no drinking age at all. People of all ages were allowed to drink alcohol. This changed in the late 1800s, when a number of states began to pass laws that restricted alcohol consumption to adults over the age of 21.

In the 1920s, the federal government got involved in the issue, passing a law that prohibited the sale of alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. This law was repealed in 1933, but states continued to pass their own drinking age laws.

It wasn’t until 1984 that the drinking age was federally mandated to be 21. This law was passed as a response to the tragic death of University of Maryland student Len Bias. Bias died of a cocaine overdose, and his death was blamed, in part, on the fact that he was able to drink legally at the age of 18.

So, was the drinking age in the US ever 18? Yes, it was. But it wasn’t until 1984 that the drinking age was federally mandated to be 21.

When did us change drinking age to 21?

In 1984, the U.S. Congress passed the National Minimum Legal Drinking Age Act, which required all states to raise their minimum drinking age to 21.

The idea behind the law was that by raising the drinking age, it would reduce the number of drunk driving fatalities. And, while it is difficult to isolate the exact impact of the law, there is evidence that it did lead to a decrease in drunk driving fatalities.

Prior to 1984, the drinking age varied from state to state. And, while the majority of states had a minimum drinking age of 21, there were a number of states that had a minimum drinking age of 18.

So, why did Congress decide to pass the National Minimum Legal Drinking Age Act in 1984?

Well, there were a number of factors that played into Congress’ decision.

First, there was a lot of research at the time that showed that the brains of young people weren’t fully developed until they were in their early 20s. And, thus, young people were more likely to make poor decisions when it came to alcohol.

Second, there was a lot of evidence that showed that the number of drunk driving fatalities was on the rise. In fact, in 1982, there were 43,000 drunk driving fatalities.

And, finally, there was a lot of pressure from groups like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to raise the drinking age.

So, while there was some resistance to the law at the time, Congress ultimately passed the National Minimum Legal Drinking Age Act in 1984. And, since then, the drinking age has remained at 21.

Why did the legal drinking age change to 21?

On July 17, 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act into law, which effectively changed the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. Many people know that Reagan signed the act as a way to reduce highway fatalities, but few know the backstory of how the law came to be.

In the early 1970s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study that found that the percentage of fatal accidents among drivers under the age of 21 was twice as high as the percentage among drivers over the age of 21. In response to these findings, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, which effectively raised the legal drinking age to 21.

The main argument in support of the drinking age change was that by raising the legal drinking age, the number of fatal accidents among young drivers would decrease. And while it is difficult to isolate the exact cause of a decrease in fatalities, there is evidence that supports this claim. A study conducted by the NHTSA in the late 1990s found that the number of fatal accidents among drivers under the age of 21 decreased by 25% after the drinking age was raised to 21.

While the primary argument in support of the drinking age change was safety-related, there were also a number of other factors that played into the decision to raise the drinking age. For example, many states had already raised their drinking ages to 21 in response to the findings of the NHTSA study. In addition, the change in the drinking age allowed the federal government to withhold highway funding from states that did not raise their drinking ages to 21.

Ultimately, the decision to raise the drinking age to 21 was based on a number of factors, including the findings of the NHTSA study, the fact that many states had already raised their drinking ages to 21, and the federal government’s ability to withhold highway funding from states that did not raise their drinking ages. While there is evidence that the drinking age change has led to a decrease in fatalities among young drivers, the long-term effects of the change are still unclear.

What was legal drinking age in 1970’s?

The legal drinking age in the 1970s was 21 in all states. In 1970, the Uniform Drinking Age Act was passed, which required all states to raise the legal drinking age to 21. The act was passed in response to the high number of drinking-related fatalities among young people. Prior to the act, the legal drinking age varied from state to state, with some states allowing people as young as 18 to drink.

Why is America’s drinking age so high?

America’s drinking age is one of the highest in the world at 21. There are many reasons why this is the case, but there are also many controversies surrounding it. Here we will explore some of the reasons why America has such a high drinking age, as well as some of the arguments against it.

One of the main reasons America has a drinking age of 21 is because of the dangers of alcohol. Alcohol can be very harmful to the body and can cause a lot of damage, especially to young adults who are still growing. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that alcohol is the number one drug of choice for young adults ages 18 to 24 and that it is responsible for more than 4,000 deaths each year.

Another reason for the high drinking age is the fact that young adults are not yet considered to be adults until they are 21. The age of majority is the age at which a person is legally considered to be an adult in the eyes of the law. This is different in every country, but in America it is 21. So, while adults in other countries may be allowed to drink at 18, in America they must wait until they are 21.

There are also many arguments against America’s high drinking age. One of the most common is that it simply does not work. It is not preventing young adults from drinking, but instead is just pushing drinking underground where it is more dangerous. In fact, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which made it illegal for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol, has actually been shown to increase the number of fatal car accidents involving young adults.

Another argument against the drinking age is that it is unconstitutional. The Constitution protects the right of all adults to drink alcohol. In a case called Secretary of State of Maryland v. Joseph H. Munson Co., the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to prevent adults from buying alcohol just because they are not yet 21.

Ultimately, the decision whether or not to lower the drinking age is up to each individual state. Some states have lowered the drinking age to 18, while others have kept it at 21. There is no one answer that is right for everyone, but it is important to consider all of the arguments for and against it before making a decision.

Which US states can you drink at 18?

In the United States, the legal drinking age is 21. However, there are a few states where you can drink at 18.

The states that allow 18-year-olds to drink are: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

However, keep in mind that just because you can drink at 18 in these states doesn’t mean that it’s legal to do so. In some cases, you still may need to wait until you’re 21 to drink legally. And even in states where 18-year-olds can drink, it’s still illegal to drink and drive. So if you’re planning on drinking, be sure to have a designated driver or take a taxi home.

Can you drink at 18 in California?

In many states, 18 is the legal drinking age. But in California, the legal drinking age is 21. This means that you cannot legally drink alcohol in California until you are 21 years old.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you are 18 years old and are in the military, you can drink alcohol. If you are 18 years old and are married, you can drink alcohol. And if you are 18 years old and are working in a place where alcohol is served, you can drink alcohol.

But in general, if you are 18 years old and live in California, you cannot drink alcohol.