Perhaps no alcohol safety measure has attracted more research and public attention or shown more consistent evidence of effectiveness than the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) 21 law in the United States. MLDA laws were established in the States after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 (21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution). Many States set the MLDA at 21 during that time. When the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1971 (26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution), many States lowered their drinking age to 18 or 19. Studies in the 1970s and 1980s showed significant increases in alcohol-related crashes involving youth aged 18-20 in States that lowered their drinking age. Consequently, the U.S. Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act and President Reagan signed the bill into law in 1984. Since 1988, the MLDA has been 21 in all 50 States and the District of Columbia (DC). Between 1982 and 1998, the population-adjusted involvement rate of drinking drivers aged 20 and younger in fatal crashes decreased 59 percent. MLDA-21 laws have been shown to be associated with this decline. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has estimated that MLDA laws save approximately 900 lives a year in traffic fatalities alone. Section I of this report presents cases that have been made for lowering the drinking age and examines these arguments. Much of the information contained in this section was adapted from two prior publications with similar arguments and augmented with new and updated information. Section II provides detailed information and supporting data on the benefits of MLDA 21 and the extent of teen motor vehicle risks. (Author/publisher)
Abstract