Legal Drinking Age

In 1984, the United States passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. Under the Act, states that do not enforce a minimum drinking age of 21 will lose ten percent of their annual federal highway funds. Although the law did not technically outlaw underage drinking, it effectively forced state governments into compliance with the higher drinking age. For over 20 years, the Act went largely unchallenged, and the drinking age of 21 has become an accepted part of American culture. Now, however, there is an organized effort for change. Read more