Why is USA drinking age 21?

Question

I know this is determined by States but the Fed said any state that did not set at 21 would get $0 in Fed funds..so they bullied the States to do it.

Now I know the obvious reason is that people need to be mature to drink responsibly....but since the majority of drunk drivers are 21+ years old what makes 21 better than 18?

18 gives you right to vote, be drafted, sign up for armed services, marry, go to maximum security prison, be executed, buy+smoke cigerettes....but not drink...isn't that odd?
Now if they reduced the age yes there would be an increase in drinking deaths but only in short term. But pro or anti reasons aside here is my question:

My question is why 21? What makes 21 better than 18? Why not 25? Why not 42? What is supposed to have happened in the 3 years that makes you able to drink legally now?

Daisy it is because the taboo would be reduced so while at first people would go nuts they will calm down and it would not be a big deal.....laymans terms I agree but most studies have results that show the death rate would drop in long run as the taboo stigma of drinking would be lost...that and the large volumes of data showing that Europe has less drinking deaths per volume than America and their legal age tends to be 18.

Mynamehere> you are correct it was 18 and then was raised to 21.

Rachel> That would explain it...if that is the case I wonder if it would still be a valid statistic

78270rine M> How would there be more drinking problems if age was 18? Would seem that those who develop drinking problems not only start drinking before 21 (which shows the age isn't stopping anyone) but would do so whenever they start drinking at whatever age

Answer 1

Spineless politicians, wh@ring for votes, decided to get some political capital by supporting the higher drinking age so they could look like they are tough on crime and support family values.

Some initiatives are difficult to stop because, if you oppose them, you can easily be made to look bad. For example, the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday is ridiculous. Besides Christmas and George Washington's birthday (which has now been demoted to a generic "Presidents Day", no single person has ever been considered so outstanding that he or she deserves such an unprecedented honor. Certainly, no one except a former President was ever even considered. However, how can a politician oppose an initiative like this without being an easy target for unwarranted slurs of racism?

There's your answer. Politicians have no guts, and the take the easy way out. Just pass another law, whether it is sensible or not.

Answer 2

You have to keep in mind that the United States once tried to completely outlaw alcoholic cosumption for all individuals. It was a total failure.

Now, I lived at just the right time that the legal drinking age was 18 when I was 18 and it changed to 21 right after I turned 21.

Here is the difference: At 18, you are in high school or just graduating. You have not had much experience driving, drinking or doing much else. By 21, you have either gone off to college or have gotten and gained a little more experience, a little more smarts and hoepfully more maturity because of greater responsibilties in life. Yes, they could make the age 25, which is a magic age for car insurance, but I think there is a sense that that would be just too much for the public to take.

Answer 3

This could be a long conversation, but think of it like this. If the age were younger, there would be more people with drinking problems than there is today. 21 is better than 18. Forget about the legal age part for a moment, that doesn't seem to really play a big part if any these days in weather or not one is 21 or younger.

Answer 4

this is based on years of research, when many states still had the legal drinking age at 18 and not 21. They found that teens (18-19) were more likely to drink and drive, and the highest fatalities were in that range.

so the lobbying began to up the age to 21. Be happy, in some countries, you'd have to be 25 (india) or its outright illegal (pakistan, saudi arabia)

Answer 5

You make a good point. I dont think it should be 21 or 18 more like 25. most people dont really pull their head out of their rear until they are about 25. I think all the other things that 18 year olds can do should be 25 also. 18 year olds dont have the maturity or experience to make those kinds of decisions intelligently. they are still thinking like kids. You need some real life experience befor you can pull your head out.

Answer 6

MADD began lobbying for the drinking age to be 21 due to the fact that the largest number of drinking and driving fatalities were for people between the ages of 18 and 21.

Edit: Unsure, but Elizabeth Dole was one of the driving forces behind the movement to make the drinking age 21 because of drunk driving fatalities.

Answer 7

My question is, how do you figure that changing the drinking age to 18 will result in drinking deaths only short term???

Answer 8

I dunno...I was once told that it was actually used to be 18; might be wrong, idk.

It might have to do with neurology...Alchohol affects growing minds, and maybe 21 is when health officials feel it will no longer affect your brain development significantly...

Good question.

Answer 9

Because we have allowed the State to replace the idea that we know when our children reach maturity with the idea that the State knows best.

Answer 10

good ? maybe the drinking age should be 55 like senior citizens