What is the Legal Drinking Age in the United States and Why?

The United States has the highest legal drinking age in the world, as established by the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. This act states, among other things, that states are required to enforce and/ or legislate a minimum legal drinking age of 21 years of age. In fact, state that don’t enforce or mandate the 21 year old drinking age law risk losing 10% of their federal funding for highway apportionment, under the Federal Aid Highway Act. Yet, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 has been met with much controversy.

It as President Reagan who signed this law into effective in 1984, and many credit Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) with being the most influential proponent for the act. Whether that is true or not, one thing is clear, the act was signed into law after much support from many special interests groups, of which MADD was definitely one.

Drinking has long been a government issue, though many do not understand why. In 1919, prohibition effectively prohibited everyone from drinking, regardless of age, and made it criminal to manufacture, sell, possess or consume alcoholic beverages. By 1933, prohibition was repealed, and alcoholic beverages were once again legal to possess and consume, but this prompted many states, cities, and municipalities to create legislation to control drinking.

A fairly consistent state regulation was to set a legal drinking age requirement. Many states were pretty consistent for liquor at setting the age at 21, but most of those did allow people who were 18 or older to purchase or consume the lower alcohol content products such as beer and wine.

Then enter the Vietnam Era, where soldiers as young as 18 years of age were asked to die for their country, but could not drink in their country, and many did not agree that a person who is considered legally an adult should not be allowed to make any and all adult choices, including whether or not to consume alcoholic beverages.