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-According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, underage drinking accounts for 17.5% ($22.5 billion) of consumer spending for alcohol in the United States. [16] In 2006, 72.2% of twelfth graders reported drinking alcohol at some point in their lives.
-the MLDA is not effective because teenagers are still consuming alcohol.
-Yes but now it is the 21st century and teenagers have told us in 2006 that
-MLDA 21 promotes general disrespect and non-compliance with other areas of US law. MLDA 21 encourages young adults to acquire and use false identification documents to procure alcohol. In this era of national security concerns, including terrorism, illegal immigration, and other threats, it would be better to have fewer fake IDs in circulation and more respect for the law.

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-drinking age is at 21
-Once you are 18 you are able to serve alcohol at a restaurant and a liquor store with a supervisor who is 21 years of age or older.
-if you are able to put an 18 year old in charge of this task then why do they not have the chance to drink.
-I believe the longer a child waits the more they are willing to drink.
-teenagers are getting their licenses at 16 and some are getting their hands on alcohol. Unless you want more accidents to occur you should lower the drinking age and give children the education to safe drinking or raise the age to be able to drive.

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Note: Practice quizzes are available only for those sections of the manual covering rules of the road (Chapters 4 through 11 and Road Signs).

You have probably heard the facts before - driving while impaired or intoxicated is a serious traffic safety problem in the United States. In New York State, more than 40 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities involve impaired driving. But the facts and statistics do not tell the whole story. Behind the numbers are thousands of lives cut short, permanent or disabling injuries, and families devastated because someone drove while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

When you drink alcohol or take other drugs, safe driving is not possible. Not every impaired or intoxicated driver causes a traffic crash, but each one is dangerous, putting their lives and those they share the road with at risk.

Young people, who have less experience with alcohol or drugs and less experience with driving, are at high risk. Drivers under age 21 are approximately 4 percent of the driving population, but 7 percent of the impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes. This is one reason the driver license revocation penalties are more severe for young drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Because driving "under the influence" is so dangerous, the penalties for alcohol or drug-related violations are tough and enforcement is important. The chance of apprehension and conviction are high and New York State law strictly limits your ability to plea bargain when charged with an offense related to alcohol or drugs.

WHAT ALCOHOL DOES

Alcohol delays your reaction time, reduces your ability to see clearly, changes your judgment of speed and distances, often makes you less inhibited and makes you more prone to take chances. The important skills you need to drive safely are made weaker.

Because your vision is normally restricted at night, it is especially dangerous to drink and drive after dark. Alcohol also reduces your ability to recover from the glare of headlights. When another vehicle moves toward you, you can be blinded by its headlights for a long period of time.

You do not have to look or feel intoxicated for these things to occur. The symptoms of alcohol consumption can begin long before you become intoxicated or even legally impaired and begin with the first drink.

As alcohol physically limits your ability to drive, it also makes you less aware of what is happening to your safe driving abilities. It becomes difficult for you to judge your condition. You can gain confidence about driving, when you should not be driving at all.

During each mile you drive, you make hundreds of decisions. Your decisions turn into actions that keep your vehicle controlled and ensure you avoid crashes. Alcohol makes it difficult to make correct decisions and to take the safest actions.

For example: You have just stopped at a STOP sign. You see another vehicle approaching the intersection. You must quickly make a decision whether it is safe to go through the intersection. Under the influence of alcohol, you are more likely to make a wrong decision and "take a chance." Your slower reaction time, and the bad decision, could cause a crash.

OTHER DRUGS

Drugs, which include many prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as illegal substances, can affect your ability to drive. They can have effects similar to alcohol or even worse. If you take medication, even a remedy for colds or allergies that is not prescribed, check the label for warnings about its effects. If you are unsure, ask your doctor or pharmacist about driving while on the medication.

Never drink alcohol while you are taking other drugs. It could be dangerous, often enhancing the effects of the alcohol and the other drug. For example, taking one drink while you are also using a cold remedy could affect you as much as several drinks.

It can be a criminal offense to drive while impaired by the effect of drugs, alcohol, or the combination of alcohol and drugs, including marijuana/cannabis, and illegal drugs such as cocaine, LSD, heroin, opium, and by some prescription drugs. Drugs can detrimentally affect your reflexes, judgment, vision and alertness and they may have other dangerous effects as well.

A combination of alcohol and other drugs severely reduces your ability to drive and can cause serious health problems, which can include death.

ALCOHOL, OTHER DRUGS AND THE LAW

In New York State, you can be arrested for any of these offenses: aggravated driving while intoxicated (Agg-DWI), driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or more (.08 BAC), driving while ability impaired by a drug (DWAI-drug), driving while ability impaired by alcohol (DWAI), or driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs.

Blood alcohol content (BAC) is the percentage of alcohol in your blood and is normally determined by a chemical test of breath, blood, urine or saliva. A BAC of more than .05 percent is legal evidence that you are impaired, a BAC of .08 percent or higher is evidence of intoxication, and a BAC of .18 percent or more is evidence of aggravated driving while intoxicated.

Many people think chemical test evidence is required to prove you were intoxicated or impaired. However, the testimony of a police officer about the way you drive, and your appearance and behavior while interacting with the officer can provide enough evidence to convict you, even without a chemical test.

If you are found guilty of any alcohol or drug-related violation, the court must revoke or suspend your driver license when you are sentenced. Even if the court allows you to continue driving for 20 days, your driver license will be taken immediately.

The BAC standards and penalties for commercial drivers are even tougher than those indicated in this chapter. For complete information, see Section 1 of the Commercial Driver's Manual (CDL-10).

YOUR BAC

Your (BAC) depends on:

Your BAC does not depend on the type of beverage you drink, how fit you are or how you can "hold your liquor."

Different types of drinks do not affect you differently. It is the amount of alcohol you consume, not whether it is in beer, wine or liquor that raises your BAC and reduces your driving ability. These drinks contain about the same amount of alcohol - 1 1/2 ounces of liquor, 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer and 12 ounces of wine cooler. None is "safer to drink" than the others.

For a 150-pound male, each one of these drinks contains enough alcohol to increase his BAC by about .02 percent. On average, it takes the body approximately one hour to remove that much alcohol. Studies indicate that a woman will take longer to process and remove alcohol from the blood. This can cause a higher BAC over a longer period of time.

Compared to the 150-pound male described above, your body weight can make some difference in the BAC and the effects of alcohol. No one has immunity to the effects of alcohol. It is a simple fact: the more you drink in a given period of time, the higher your BAC will be and the less safely you will drive.

It takes only a few drinks to increase your BAC to levels at which it is illegal to drive. And remember, the effects of alcohol on your ability to drive begin at even lower BAC levels after just one drink.

Eating before or while you drink helps slow the absorption of alcohol somewhat, but it can not prevent intoxication or impairment if you have too much to drink.

The only method to effectively reduce your BAC is to not drink over a period of time. Coffee, exercise and cold showers cannot reduce your BAC and the effects of alcohol. They can help you remain awake, but it can not change your BAC or make you sober.

CHEMICAL TESTS

Chemical tests use blood, breath, urine or saliva to measure the BAC of a person. If you are arrested for an alcohol or drug-related violation, the police officer will likely request that you submit to a chemical test. Under New York's "Implied Consent" law, when you drive a car in this state you are considered to have already given your consent to take this type of test.

Chemical test refusal is a separate issue from whether you were guilty of an alcohol or drug-related violation. If you refuse to take the test after being arrested, your driver license will be suspended when you are arraigned in court on the alcohol or other drug-related charge. In addition, the fact that you refused a chemical test can be brought up in court when you are tried on the alcohol or drug-related charge. If a DMV hearing later confirms you refused the test, your driver license will be revoked even if you are found not guilty of the alcohol or other drug-related violation. For information about driver license revocations and civil penalties for chemical test refusals, see Alcohol and Drug Driving Violations.

PENALTIES FOR ALCOHOL / DRUG RELATED VIOLATIONS

NOTE: Higher fines, longer jail sentences, and increased license penalties (including lifetime revocation) may result from a third or subsequent conviction within 10 years.

* Conviction fine only, does not include mandatory surcharge or crime victims assistance fee.

** The Department of Motor Vehicles determines when your license can be returned. Its return or reinstatement based on state law or regulation, is not automatic. You must reapply for your license and may have to pass a test.

NOTE: License actions for those under age 21 are different.

THE CONSEQUENCES

The table above "Penalties for Alcohol/Drug Related Violations" describes fines, surcharges, license penalties and possible imprisonment if you are convicted of an alcohol or drug-related violation. Impaired or intoxicated driving can also have other serious results.
Repeat Offenders
Drivers with repeat dangerous driving convictions in New York State face one of the toughest licensing policies in the nation. These regulations call for:

Lifetime Record Review by DMV: DMV will review the lifetime record of all drivers who apply to have a license reinstated after a revocation.

Permanent License Denial for Persistently Drunk & Dangerous Drivers: After conducting a lifetime record review, DMV will deny any application for reinstatement of a license after revocation if the applicant has:

* Five or more alcohol or drug related driving convictions in the applicant's lifetime, or

* Three or four alcohol or drug related driving convictions in the 25-year look back period plus at least one other serious driving offense during that period. A serious driving offense includes: a fatal crash, a driving-related penal law conviction, an accumulation of 20 or more points assessed for driving violations within the 25-year look back period or having two or more driving convictions during the 25-year look back period, each worth five points or more.

Delayed Re-Licensing, Driving Restrictions, & Interlocks for Other Drivers with Repeated Alcohol- or Drug-Related Driving Convictions: For those drivers seeking reinstatement of a license after revocation who have three or four alcohol- or drug-related driving convictions but no serious driving offense in the 25-year look back period, DMV will:

* Deny their applications for five years beyond their statutory revocation period if the applicant's license was revoked for an alcohol- or drug-related offense; or two additional years if the applicant's license was revoked for a reason other than an alcohol or drug related offense;

* Restore the applicant's license after that additional period as a "restricted" license limiting the applicant's driving to, for example, travel to and from work or medical visits; and

* Require an interlock device on the vehicle driven by the applicant for five years from the date of issuance of the licensing document. The interlock requirement applies to those motorists who were approved after the five-year waiting period.

End the Reduction of Mandatory Suspension or Revocation Periods: Previously, drunk drivers whose licenses have been revoked or suspended twice within a 25-year period could get their full driving privileges back in as little as seven weeks by completing DMV's Impaired Driver Program. DMV's new regulations will ensure that those drivers cannot obtain their driving privileges until their full term of suspension or revocation has ended.

Zero Tolerance for Drivers Under Age 21

The legal purchase and possession age for beverages containing alcohol in New York State is 21. Under the state's "zero tolerance" law, it is a violation for a person under 21 to drive with any BAC that can be measured (.02 to .07). After a finding of violation is determined at a DMV hearing, the driver license will be suspended for six months. The driver then must pay a $100 suspension termination fee and a $125 civil penalty to be re-licensed. For a second Zero Tolerance violation, the driver license will be revoked for at least one year or until the driver reaches 21, whichever is longer.

Illegal Purchase Of Beverages Containing Alcohol

When you use a driver license or Non-Driver ID card as proof of age to illegally purchase beverages that contain alcohol, state law requires the suspension of your driver license or privilege to apply for a license.

Open Container Law

It is a traffic infraction for a driver or passenger in a motor vehicle on a public highway, street or road to drink a beverage containing alcohol or to possess an open container containing an alcoholic beverage. It is also a traffic infraction for a driver or passenger in a motor vehicle on a public highway, street or road to consume marajuana/cannabis. The penalty for a first conviction is a fine up to $150, a mandatory surcharge, a crime victim assistance fee, and possible imprisonment of 15 days. Additional offenses within 18 months bring higher penalties. The law exempts passengers in vehicles like stretch limousines and other vehicles that display a commerce certificate or permit issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation or the NYS Department of Transportation.

The Ignition Interlock Program and Leandra's Law

Courts must order all persons convicted of driving while intoxicated or aggravated driving while intoxicated, or of a penal law offense for which an alcohol related violation of any provision of section 1192 of the Vehicle & Traffic Law is an essential element to install and maintain an ignition interlock on any vehicle owned or operated by such driver for at least 12 months. (This device, purchased and installed at the expense of the motorist, is connected to a motor vehicle ignition system and measures the alcohol content of the breath of the driver. The vehicle cannot be started until the driver provides an acceptable sample breath.) The 12-month requirement may be waived by the court if the defendant demonstrates that the interlock device was installed for at least six months, unless the court orders the interlock device to be installed for a longer period of time. The judge also must order an alcohol assessment for a repeat offender. If the assessment indicates alcohol treatment is necessary, the judge may be required to order the completion of treatment as a condition of probation.

Drivers who commit these alcohol-related offenses with a child under 16 years old in the vehicle may be charged with a class E felony, punishable by up to four years in prison. (This is known as Leandra's Law.)

The law also makes it a felony to drive drunk with a conditional license, which is a license that may be issued by the DMV when someone is convicted of an alcohol-related offense. Such a license may be used only for driving to and from essential destinations such as school, work and medical appointments. The conditional driver license will be revoked if the motorist does not comply with the court terms or for a conviction for any traffic offense except parking, stopping or standing.

A FEW IMPORTANT REMINDERS

If you kill or cause an injury to another person because of an alcohol or other drug-related violation, you can be convicted of criminally negligent homicide, aggravated vehicular homocide, vehicular manslaughter or vehicular assault. These carry a fine of thousands of dollars and can carry a maximum jail term of 25 years.

If you drive while your license is suspended or revoked, you face a mandatory fine of $200 to $1000, and a mandatory jail term or probation. If impaired or intoxicated when you are arrested, the maximum mandatory fine is $5,000 and the vehicle can be seized.

Liability insurance may not cover the cost of injuries and damage from a traffic crash. You could be sued for thousands of dollars, and you would find it difficult and expensive to buy liability insurance for several years.

Besides fines and surcharges, you could also face costly legal fees.

You could have a criminal record, which makes it harder to get a job or move forward in your job.

HOW TO AVOID TROUBLE

You are not likely to worry about the results of your actions while you are impaired or intoxicated. The time to consider them, and how to prevent them, is before you become impaired or intoxicated.

If you go to events with the same group of friends, rotate drivers. Each friend takes a turn being the "designated driver" who does not drink any alcohol.

Arrange to remain overnight or ride home with a friend who does not drink.

Before you drink, give your car keys to a friend who does not drink and who will not let you drive after you drink.

Call a cab, contact a Ride Share operator, or use public transportation.

Drink slowly. Alternate between drinks with alcohol and drinks without any alcohol.

Do not consume (e.g. smoke, vape, eat, etc.) marijuana/cannabis-based products before driving.

Do not make alcohol the focus of your event.

If you have had too much alcohol, stop drinking several hours before you intend to leave so your body can begin to lower your BAC.

QUESTIONS

How does drunk driving rank as a highway safety problem?

What are the effects of alcohol on the skills you need to drive?

Which of these drugs could affect your ability to drive: marijuana, a cold remedy, a tranquilizer?

If you take a non-prescription drug, what must you do before you drive?

What is a likely effect when you take another drug while you drink beverages containing alcohol?

On what three conditions does your blood alcohol content (BAC) depend?

Which of these contains more alcohol than the other three: 1 1/2 ounces (30 ml) of 80 proof liquor, five ounces (120 ml) wine, 12 ounces (360 ml) of beer, 12 ounces (360 ml) of wine-cooler?

On average, how long does it take your body to remove the alcohol contained in 12 ounces of beer?

What is the only effective method to reduce your BAC?

What happens to your driver license if you refuse a chemical test?

Other than fines, action against your driver license and a possible jail term, what are some of the results when you drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs?

Before you move on to Chapter 10, make sure you can answer these questions:

End of Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Quiz

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Topics:What Alcohol DoesOther DrugsAlcohol, Other Drugs and the LawYour BACChemical TestsThe ConsequencesA Few Important RemindersHow to Avoid TroubleChapter 9 QuizNote: Practice quizzes are available only for those sections of the manual covering rules of the road (Chapters 4 through 11 and Road Si…

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The younger people start to drink the safer they are.

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should the U.S. Lower it's drinking age?

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should the U.S. Lower it's drinking age?

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Dwight B. Heath knows what he is about to say will sound a little crazy to most people.

When asked what the minimum legal drinking age should be in the U.S., Heath says 8, or maybe even 6.

No, the Brown University anthropology professor is not advocating getting kids drunk. Instead he favors a cultural model, common in countries like France or Italy, where parents serve small amounts of wine to their children at family meals.

By doing this, he says, parents educate their kids about alcohol and rob drinking of its taboo allure, which can make rebellious teenagers sneak off to basements and backwoods to binge drink far from adult supervision.

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Story highlights

Thursday is 30th anniversary of bill that effectively raised U.S. drinking age to 21

Proponents say higher drinking age reduces alcohol-related accidents

Opponents say it creates a "forbidden fruit" syndrome that leads to binge drinking

Editor's Note: This story is part of a series on the 30th anniversary of the National Minimum Age Drinking Act, passed by Congress on July 17, 1984.

Dwight B. Heath knows what he is about to say will sound a little crazy to most people.

When asked what the minimum legal drinking age should be in the U.S., Heath says 8, or maybe even 6.

No, the Brown University anthropology professor is not advocating getting kids drunk. Instead he favors a cultural model, common in countries like France or Italy, where parents serve small amounts of wine to their children at family meals.

By doing this, he says, parents educate their kids about alcohol and rob drinking of its taboo allure, which can make rebellious teenagers sneak off to basements and backwoods to binge drink far from adult supervision.

"In general, the younger people start to drink the safer they are," said Heath, who has written several books and hundreds of scholarly articles on cultural attitudes towards alcohol. When introduced early, he said, "Alcohol has no mystique. It's no big deal. By contrast, where it's banned until age 21, there's something of the 'forbidden fruit' syndrome."

Of course, Heath's idea has no chance of becoming law anytime soon. Thirty years ago this week, Congress passed a bill that effectively raised the national drinking age to 21. Despite subsequent efforts to lower it in some states - and the fact that most developed countries allow young people to legally drink at 18 - that threshold has remained firmly in place ever since.

Proponents of the higher drinking age says it reduces traffic fatalities and alcohol-related accidents while keeping booze out of the hands of teens, whose brains are still developing.

But as the U.S. marks Thursday's anniversary of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, Heath and some other scholars still dare to ask an unpopular question: Would America be better served by reducing its drinking age - or at least encouraging states to set their own limits?

The World Health Organization cites the U.S. as one of only a handful of developed countries - Iceland, Japan, South Korea and Thailand are others - with a minimum drinking age over 18. Several countries, including Belgium, Denmark and Germany, even allow 16-year-olds to buy beer and wine.

"I think 18 is viewed (by most countries) pretty much as a reasonable age limit," said Marjana Martinic, deputy president of the International Center for Alcohol Policies or ICAP.

"The Puritan ethic has really shaped the way alcohol is regulated in the U.S.," Martinic said. "Alcohol is seen more as a drug, and not something that's integrated into everyday life."

MADD about underage drinking

Two generations of younger Americans have never known anything but needing to be 21 - or owning an ID that says you are - to buy a six-pack or drink in a bar. But in the wide-lapeled 1970s, things were very different.

After Congress in 1971 dropped the voting age from 21 to 18, many states followed suit by lowering decades-old barriers to drinking. The rationale went something like this: If young Americans could be entrusted to vote, serve on a jury and fight in Vietnam, why couldn't they order a beer?

By the late 1970s, more than half the states in the U.S. had lowered their minimum drinking ages, usually from 21 to 18. But when research showed an increase in traffic fatalities in these states, state legislatures began to reverse course.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, founded in 1980, quickly gained national clout and lobbied lawmakers to raise the legal limit. On July 17, 1984, Congress passed a law that withheld federal highway funding from every state that continued to allow people under 21 to buy alcohol - effectively forcing them to raise their drinking ages. By 1995, faced with this strong financial incentive and pressure from MADD, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had complied.

Is alcohol and the teen brain a bad mix?

Many studies have since attempted to gauge the law's impact on public health. One found that among young drivers (ages 16-20) killed in car wrecks, the percentage with positive blood-alcohol levels declined from 61% in 1982 to 31% in 1995 - a bigger decline than for older age groups.

"Minimum legal drinking age laws have proven to be a very effective and important countermeasure for reducing drunk driving when younger drivers are involved," said the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in a statement. The NHTSA estimates that raising the national legal drinking age from 18 to 21 has saved more than 500 lives each year.

"Research shows that it saves lives," agreed MADD National President Jan Withers. "In fact, it is one of the most researched public health laws on the books. When the law was raised to 21, alcohol-related deaths for young people decreased; when the drinking age was lowered, deaths increased."

A recent study in New Zealand, which lowered its drinking age in 1999 from 20 to 18, found that drivers aged 18 or 19 now face a higher risk of being involved in alcohol-related crashes that cause death or injury.

The 21-year-old limit may be less effective at curbing binge drinking on college campuses, however. A University of Indiana study of students at 56 colleges found that in the immediate aftermath of 21 becoming the national drinking age, significantly more underage students drank compared to those of legal age.

A stalled movement

There's a movement to lower legal drinking ages in the U.S., and its leader is not a college student or a brewery owner. He's a university president.

Weary of battling drinking on campus during his tenure as president of Middlebury College, John McCardell Jr. penned a column in The New York Times assailing the 21-year-old drinking age as "bad social policy and terrible law."

"Right now we're in an impossible position (on college campuses). Why should we be expected to enforce a law that's ignored by 70 percent of students before they even come (to college)?" McCardell, now president of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, told CNN this week.

"It's taking place behind closed doors, where it's much more dangerous. It's unsupervised," he said. "It's out of step with social reality."

CNN Opinion: Get real, lower drinking age to 19

Instead, he argues, colleges should be given the chance to educate students on how to drink responsibly, within campus boundaries and out in the open.

In 2008 McCardell recruited more than 130 college presidents to sign the Amethyst Initiative, which pushed for a new federal transportation bill that wouldn't penalize states for setting drinking ages under 21. He said he and other college presidents were set to testify before Congress that fall when the economy tanked and legislators' priorities turned elsewhere.

"We missed our moment," he said.

Lawmakers in a handful of states have proposed lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, but none have gained traction so far.

Experts say lowering the drinking age remains a tough sell to politicians worried about re-election. A 2007 Gallup poll found that 77% of Americans opposed lowering the drinking age in all states to 18.

"There isn't much appetite to change something that appears to be working," said Martinic of ICAP. "It's not a very popular issue and it could potentially be damaging to a politician to advocate for a lower age, because nobody wants more traffic accidents. It's pretty much a no go."

But McCardell is not giving up. He believes legal limits for drinking should be set by the states, not the federal government.

And he proposes that American teens be eligible for an alcohol permit - not unlike a driver's license - upon turning 18, graduating from high school and completing an alcohol-education course. They would need the permit to buy beer, wine or liquor, and the state could revoke the permit for those convicted of alcohol-related offenses such as drunk driving.

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Thursday is 30th anniversary of bill that effectively raised U.S. drinking age to 21 Proponents say higher drinking age reduces alcohol-related accidents Opponents say it creates a "forbidden fruit" syndrome that leads to binge drinking Editor's Note: This story is part of a series on the 30th anniversary of the National Minimum Age Drinking Act, passed by Congress on July 17, 1984.

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-Allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to drink alcohol in regulated environments with supervision would decrease unsafe drinking activity.
-by not giving them the chance to drink in public places they could be prone to drinking unsupervised and also binge drinking as well which can lead to OD's or DWI's or even DUI's
-although drinking can effect the development of an 18 year old brain it is their choice to drink. They are technically an adult once they turn 18 and therefore they should make their own decisions.
-therefore if there is a concern as to DWI then we should not be waiting for what is going to happen in the future we should be doing something to prevent it such as letting our kids know the consequences and what to do if they are too "drunk" to drive.
-In 2009, the 21- to 24-year-old age group had the highest percentage of drivers in fatal crashes with blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of .08 or higher – 35 percent. [9] Any increase in traffic accidents or fatalities in 18- to 20-year-olds would be offset by a decrease for those 21 and older.
-There are fewer drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities in many countries with MLDA of 18. Although the United States increased the MLDA to 21 in 1984, its rate of traffic accidents and fatalities in the 1980s decreased less than that of European countries whose legal drinking ages are lower than 21.

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All 50 US states have set their minimum drinking age to 21 although exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons.

Proponents of lowering the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21 argue that it has not stopped teen drinking, and has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behavior by teens.

Opponents of lowering the MLDA argue that teens have not yet reached an age where they can handle alcohol responsibly, and thus are more likely to harm or even kill themselves and others by drinking prior to 21. They contend that traffic fatalities decreased when the MLDA increased. Read more background...

Pro & Con Arguments

Pro 1

18 is the age of legal majority (adulthood) in the United States.

Americans enjoy a range of new rights, responsibilities, and freedoms when they turn 18 and become an adult in the eyes of the law.

18-year-olds may vote in local, state, and federal elections; may serve on juries; and may be charged as an adult if accused of a crime. 18-year-olds are responsible for any legally binding contracts they enter; are liable for negligence; and may be sued.

18-year-olds must register with the Selective Service if male and may be drafted into service at times of war. However, 17-year-olds may enter US military service.

18-year-olds may get married without parental consent; buy a house; and enjoy new privacy rights including the shielding of medical, academic, and financial information from parents.

However, drinking alcohol remains regulated under a legal age of license. An 18-year-old may legally be responsible children and legally allowed to make life decisions with years of impact, but may not legally drink a beer.

Todd Rutherford, South Carolina State Representative and Democrat House Minority Leader, who filed a bill on Nov. 10, 2021 to lower South Carolina's MLDA to 18, stated: "This is a personal freedom issue. If you are old enough to fight for our country, if you're old enough to vote, if you're old enough to sign on thousands of dollars of students loans for a college education, then you are old enough to have a[n alcoholic] drink."
Read More

Pro 3

MLDA creates a mindset of non-compliance with the law among young adults.

Lowering MLDA from 21 to 18 would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink. Normalizing alcohol consumption as something to be done responsibly and in moderation will make drinking alcohol less of a taboo for young adults entering college and the workforce.

High non-compliance with MLDA 21 promotes general disrespect and non-compliance with other areas of US law. MLDA 21 encourages young adults to acquire and use false identification documents to procure alcohol. It would be better to have fewer fake IDs in circulation and more respect for the law.

Further, MLDA 21 enforcement is not a priority for many law enforcement agencies. Police are inclined to ignore or under-enforce MLDA 21 because of resource limitations, statutory obstacles, perceptions that punishments are inadequate, and the time and effort required for processing and paperwork. An estimated two of every 1,000 occasions of illegal drinking by youth under 21 results in an arrest.

Combine a lack of consequences with the thrill of breaking the law, and MLDA 21 actually encourages underage drinking and potentially other illegal activities, such as driving while intoxicated and illicit drug use. Lowering the MLDA would make 18- to 20-year-olds subject to the same laws enforced for those 21 and over.
Read More

1. Underage drinking is allowed in some US states if done on private premises with parental consent, for religious purposes, or for educational purposes.

2. Between 1970 and 1976, 30 states lowered their Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) from 21 to 18, 19, or 20.

3. The enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 prompted states to raise their legal age for purchase or public possession of alcohol to 21 or risk losing millions in federal highway funds.

4. After the repeal of alcohol prohibition by the 21st Amendment on Dec. 5, 1933, Illinois (1933-1961) and Oklahoma (1933-1976) set their state drinking age at 21 for men and 18 for women. The 1976 US Supreme Court case Craig v. Boren ruled 7-2 that this age difference violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

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Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered in the US? 13 Pros and Cons

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Proponents of a lower drinking age say 18 is the US age of adulthood. Opponents say lowering the age would be medically irresponsible. Research both sides.

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"Alcohol is the drug of choice among America's adolescents, used by more young people than tobacco or illicit drugs... [T]here are 10.1 million underage drinkers in the United States... 39% of current 8th graders, 58% of 10th graders, 72% of 12th graders, and 85% of college students have tried alcohol.
America’s earlier experiment with prohibition was a notorious failure.

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-Gabrielle Glaser, the author of “Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink — and How They Can Regain Control,” writes in favor of returning the drinking age to 18:
-passing this law has decreased the amount of deaths but it has also increased the amount of DUI's
- Raising the drinking age hasn’t reduced drinking — it’s merely driven it underground, to the riskiest of settings
- This age segregation leads the drinking away from adults, who could model moderation.

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Many states lowered the drinking age to 18 or 19 in the early 1970s, around the same time as the passage of the 26th Amendment granting 18-year-olds the right to vote. But then all 50 states raised it again to 21 when Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act - for fear of losing a portion of federal highway money. But does a uniform drinking age of 21 work?

Should the drinking age be lowered?

Room for Debate asks the same question in " You Must Be 21 to Drink."

Gabrielle Glaser, the author of "Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink - and How They Can Regain Control," writes in favor of returning the drinking age to 18:

Return the drinking age to 18 - and then enforce the law. The current system, which forbids alcohol to Americans under 21, is widely flouted, with disastrous consequences. Teaching people to drink responsibly before they turn 21 would enormously enhance public health. Now, high school and college kids view dangerous binge drinking as a rite of passage.

The current law, passed in all 50 states in the 1980s, was intended to diminish the number of traffic deaths caused by young drunk drivers. It has succeeded in that - but tougher seatbelt and D.U.I. rules have contributed to the decrease, too. Raising the drinking age hasn't reduced drinking - it's merely driven it underground, to the riskiest of settings: unsupervised high school blowouts and fraternity parties that make "Animal House" look quaint. This age segregation leads the drinking away from adults, who could model moderation.

The roots of this extreme drinking lie in our own history. Prohibition, which banned most alcohol in the United States from 1920 to 1933, normalized the frenzied sort of drinking that occurs today at college parties. In speakeasies and blind pigs, the goal was to drink as much and as soon as possible, because you never knew when the feds would show up. Today's law, likewise, encourages young people to dodge the system. Like Prohibition - and abstinence-only sex education - it's been a dismal failure.

Tamika C. B. Zapolski, an assistant professor of psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, argues in favor of keeping the drinking age high:

Alcohol use in the United States is a serious public health concern, particularly among teenagers and young adults.

Recent results from a national survey found that by eighth grade, approximately 27 percent had used alcohol, which increased to 66 percent by 12th grade. Additionally, a second national survey indicated that among high school seniors, about 20 percent binge drank, consuming more than 5 drinks in one occasion, during the two-week period preceding the survey. Heavy drinking is associated with negative social, mental and physical health outcomes - including risk of violent behavior, sexual assault, accidents that cause injury, additional drug use, poor academics, legal troubles, and family and interpersonal problems. Those most likely to experience harm from heavy drinking are young people, particularly those of college age.

Thus lowering the drinking age would be harmful in two ways. First, young people, those most likely to be harmed from drinking, will have greater access to alcohol. Second, lowering the drinking age may lead to lowered perception of risk. When perception of risk from a particular substance decreases, prevalence rates tend to increase.

Students: Read the Room for Debate feature, then tell us ...

- Should the drinking age be lowered? Why?

- Does a higher drinking age encourage binge drinking, as alcohol is now forbidden for young people under 21?

- If Americans are old enough to vote and join the military at the age of 18, should they be allowed to decide if they want to drink?

- Or do you think alcohol is such a dangerous substance, especially when abused, that it should continue to be prohibited for those under 21? And does keeping a high drinking age save lives by decreasing drunken-driving fatalities?

- Would lowering the drinking age send the wrong signal to young people, that drinking is not inherently risky?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

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Many states lowered the drinking age to 18 or 19 in the early 1970s, around the same time as the passage of the 26th Amendment granting 18-year-olds the right to vote. But then all 50 states raised it again to 21 when Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act - for fear of losing a portion of federal highway money.

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-18 is the age where you are technically an adult and therefore you should be able to make your own decisions on whether you'd like to drink or not.
-A 2009 study published in The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that between 1998 and 2005, the number of cases of alcohol poisoning deaths among 18- to 24-year-olds nearly tripled, jumping from 779 cases to 2,290
-We don't hand teenagers car keys without first educating them about how to drive. Why expect 21-year-olds to learn how to drink responsibly without learning from moderate models, at home and in alcohol education programs?
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/02/10/you-must-be-21-to-drink/return-the-drinking-age-to-18-and-enforce-it
-Because the drinking age is 21 kids in high school and college think binge drinking is a right of passage.

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Return the drinking age to 18 -- and then enforce the law. The current system, which forbids alcohol to Americans under 21, is widely flouted, with disastrous consequences. Teaching people to drink responsibly before they turn 21 would enormously enhance public health. Now, high school and college kids view dangerous binge drinking as a rite of passage.

Raising the drinking age to 21 hasn't reduced drinking -- it's merely driven it underground, to the riskiest of settings.

The current law, passed in all 50 states in the 1980s, was intended to diminish the number of traffic deaths caused by young drunk drivers. It has succeeded in that -- but tougher seatbelt and D.U.I. rules have contributed to the decrease, too. Raising the drinking age hasn't reduced drinking -- it's merely driven it underground, to the riskiest of settings: unsupervised high school blowouts and fraternity parties that make "Animal House" look quaint. This age segregation leads the drinking away from adults, who could model moderation.

The roots of this extreme drinking lie in our own history. Prohibition, which banned most alcohol in the United States from 1920 to 1933, normalized the frenzied sort of drinking that occurs today at college parties. In speakeasies and blind pigs, the goal was to drink as much and as soon as possible, because you never knew when the feds would show up. Today's law, likewise, encourages young people to dodge the system. Like Prohibition -- and abstinence-only sex education -- it's been a dismal failure.

A 2009 study published in The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that between 1998 and 2005, the number of cases of alcohol poisoning deaths among 18- to 24-year-olds nearly tripled, jumping from 779 cases to 2,290. The study also tracks a rise in fatalities from hypothermia and falls. Some reports link excess drinking to sexual assault.

American 18-year-olds have the right to vote, marry, buy guns and join the military. They're astute enough to defend their country, decide elected officials and serve on a jury -- but not regulate their own appetites? They deserve the chance to learn.

We don't hand teenagers car keys without first educating them about how to drive. Why expect 21-year-olds to learn how to drink responsibly without learning from moderate models, at home and in alcohol education programs?

Join Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on twitter.com/roomfordebate.

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Return the Drinking Age to 18, and Enforce It

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Return the drinking age to 18 -- and then enforce the law. The current system, which forbids alcohol to Americans under 21, is widely flouted, with disastrous consequences. Teaching people to drink responsibly before they turn 21 would enormously enhance public health. Now, high school and college kids view dangerous binge drinking as a rite of passage.

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Argentina, Australia, China, Chile, Costa Rica, Columbia, Denmark, France, Finland

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Minimum legal drinking ages around the world vary dramatically. Most such laws apply only to drinking alcoholic beverages in public locations. The only country with a minimum legal age for consuming alcohol at home is the United Kingdom, which prohibits drinking below the age of six.

The average (mean) minimum legal drinking age around the globe is 15.9. The majority of countries have set the drinking age at 18. In fifty countries the minimum age is lower than 18. And in 12 countries it is higher than 18.

The enforcement of minimum legal drinking ages also varies widely between countries and often within countries. In many nations the law isn't generally enforced unless alcohol is abused.

Internationally, the average age at which drinking alcohol first occurs is 12 years. About 80% of young people begin drinking alcoholic beverages regularly at age 15 or younger. That's according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Legal Drinking Age in America

It is commonly believed that the minimum drinking age in the U.S. is 21. However, people can legally drink below that age under many different circumstances.

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 went into effect the following year. It requires all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds. It does not prohibit persons under 21 from drinking. The term "public possession" is strictly defined. It does not apply to possession for the following reasons.

An established religious purpose, when accompanied by a parent, spouse or legal guardian age 21 or older.

Medical purposes when prescribed or administered by a licensed physician, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, hospital or medical institution.

In private clubs or establishments.

During the course of lawful employment by a duly licensed manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer.

Many of the states that have chosen to specifically prohibit alcohol consumption by those under age 21 have a variety of exceptions.

Some states allow underage consumption when a family member consents and/or is present. States vary widely regarding which relatives must consent or be present and in what circumstances those under 21 may drink.

Some states permit underage drinking on private property. In some states those under 21 may drink in any private location. In others, it's only in private residences, or only in the home of a parent or guardian. Sometimes underage drinking requires the presence and/or consent of the parent, legal guardian, or legal-age spouse.

Exceptions

The following map shows the exceptions to the minimum age of 21 for the consumption of alcohol.

Note: This map is based on statutes and regulations only. It does does not include exceptions created by case law (judicial decisions), custom, or application of constitutional protections.

The problem of identifying the optimum minimum drinking age to reduce alcohol abuse is a serious one. It involves issues of freedom, responsibility, parental rights, religion, politics and many other realms of life.

The minimum drinking age of 21 in the U.S. appears to be not only ineffective but actually counter-productive. Although it was passed with the best of intentions, it has had some of the worst of outcomes.

In reaction to these problems, the president emeritus of Middlebury College created the organization, Choose Responsibility, to promote discussion and public debate about how best to reduce alcohol abuse. It has suggested a number of ideas.

Choose Responsibility believes federal legislation should not penalize states that participate in a pilot alcohol education program based on a minimum drinking age of 18. Thus, the organization believes the following.

A state should be able to present a plan for educating and licensing young adults age 18-20. The federal government should grant the state a waiver of the 10% reduction penalty for a minimum of five years.

States would create a mechanism to collect data required to monitor the effects of the program.

States would submit these statistics to Congress along with an analysis of the effects of the program.

Individual state proposals would include the guidelines for eligibility and suspension of licenses proposed in the program.

Choose Responsibility also proposes a new approach to alcohol education. It would be similar to Drivers' Education. The program would

Be taught by certified alcohol educators. They would cover the legal, ethical, health and safety issues of drinking.

Consist of at least 40 hours of instruction. Most would be in the classroom. However, it would be supplemented by DWI court hearings, safe ride taxi programs, community forums.

Require a partnership between home and school.

Entail a final examination that students must pass for licensing.

Provide accurate and unbiased alcohol education for both drinkers and abstainers.

The alcohol education course curriculum would:

Be a model for reality-based alcohol education.

Involve collaboration between state, school, and home.

Create a basis for responsible choices about alcohol. It would wed those expectations of responsible behavior to a system of certification and provisional licensing for 18-20 year-old adults.

Be developed and implemented on a state-by-state basis.

Provide accurate, truthful, and unbiased alcohol education. It would acknowledge the social reality of alcohol in American society. But it would advocate neither abstinence nor consumption. It would seek only to promote responsible choices about alcohol.

Upon successful completion of the course, each student would receive a license. It would entitle the recipient to all the privileges and responsibilities of adult alcohol purchase, possession, and consumption of alcohol.

A majority of states permit those under 21 to drink alcohol. For example, 30 states allow parents to provide their children with alcohol in the privacy of their own homes. But in the remaining 20, parents are barred from providing their children with alcohol until the child's 21st birthday. Thus, those who strictly adhere to state laws are prevented from introducing young adults to alcohol in a controlled ome environment. This typically relegates drinking "underground" where there is no responsible guidance. And peer pressure to abouse alcohol. Parents should be allowed to provide their own children alcohol in the context of teaching responsible decisions about alcohol.

There is much research evidence to suggest that these changes could reduce the extent of alcohol abuse in the U.S. Some organizations with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo oppose even discussing any of these proposals. But reducing alcohol abuse is a very important matter in the public interest. So let the discussion begin.

Note: This website is educational only. Laws constantly change so do not rely on this information. No sggestion is made about minimum legal drinking ages around the world. Consult a lawyer for legal information and advice.

References:

1. Maryland Underage Drinking Prevention Coalition. Laws: Minimum Drinking Age Laws. mudpc.org/laws.html

2. Maryland Underage Drinking Prevention Coalition. Laws: Minimum Drinking Age Laws. mudpc.org/laws.html

3. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Underage Drinking and Access to Alcohol Consumption. National Institute on alcohol and Alcohol Abuse's Alcohol Policy Information System website.

4. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Exceptions to Minimum Age of 21 for Consumption of Alcohol as of January 1, 2008. National Institute on alcohol and Alcohol Abuse's Alcohol Policy Information System website.

5. Modified slightly from "Waiver" at chooseresponsibility.org/waiver/

6. Modified slightly from "license" at chooseresponsibility.org/license/

7. From "State Policies" at chooseresponsibility.org/policy_change

Resources on Minimum Legal Drinking Ages:

AMA. Minimum Legal Drinking Age. ama-assn.org/.../minimuml-legal-drinking-age.shtml.

Amethyst Initiative. amethystinitiative.org The Amethyst Initiative, a program of college and university presidents, promotes the open discussion and debate about the effectiveness of the age 21 minimum legal drinking age,

Ardt, S.K. Adolescent Alcohol Consumption and a Changing Legal Drinking Age. Thesis, 1988.

Ash, P., and Levy, D.T. The Minimum Legal Drinking Age and Traffic Fatalities. Rockville, MD: NIAAA, 1986

Benjamin, C.D. The Lived Experience of Alcohol Consumption by Male, Active-Duty Soldiers below the Minimum Legal Drinking Age: A Qualitative Study. Thesis, 2007.

Bond, J., and Jones, B. Raising the Legal Drinking Age. Columbia, SC: SC Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 1983.

Carter, R.A. Legal Drinking Age. Albany, NY: Legislative and Governmental Services: 1983.

Crislip, K. Alcohol drinking ages around the world: Legal drinking ages worldwide. studenttravel.about.com

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Minimum Legal Drinking Ages around the World

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Minimum legal drinking ages around the world vary dramatically. Most such laws apply only to drinking alcoholic beverages in public locations. The only country with a minimum legal age for consuming alcohol at home is the United Kingdom, which prohibits drinking below the age of six.