The history of a set drinking age:
For almost 40 years, most states voluntarily set their minimum drinking age law at 21. In the late 60s and early 70s, 29 states lowered their drinking age to more closely align with the newly reduced military enlistment and voting age.
The results were immediate -- drunk driving crashes and alcohol-related fatalities increased significantly in those states.1 And not just in those states -- "blood borders", where young people would drive to a state with a lower drinking age, drink, and crash on their return, cropped up across the country. As a result, 16 states had increased their drinking ages back to age 21 by 1983.
Confronted by the "failure" of the 18 minimum drinking age, the President Commission on Drunk Driving recommended establishing a national 21 minimum drinking age. President Reagan agreed and on July 17, 1984, he signed into law the Uniform Drinking Age Act mandating all states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age within five years. By 1988, all states had set 21 as the minimum drinking age.
-Source: http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/why21/history.html#sthash.OEW5eYek.dpuf
Timeline for the Drinking Age:
1934: Original ABC Act stated that the legal age for purchase, possession or consumption of any alcoholic beverage was 21 years of age.
1974: Legal Drinking Age (LDA) for beer lowered from 21 to 18. LDA for wine and liquor remained at 21 years old.
1981: LDA for beer remains at 18 for on-premises consumption and is raised to 19 for off-premises consumption.
1983: LDA is raised to 19 years old for all sales of beer.
1985: Persons born on or after July 1, 1966 will be able to purchase beer, wine and liquor on and after their 21st birthday. Persons born before July 1, 1966 will retain the privilege to purchase, possess and consume beer.1987LDA raised to 21 for all alcoholic beverages.
The results were immediate -- drunk driving crashes and alcohol-related fatalities increased significantly in those states.1 And not just in those states -- "blood borders", where young people would drive to a state with a lower drinking age, drink, and crash on their return, cropped up across the country. As a result, 16 states had increased their drinking ages back to age 21 by 1983.
Confronted by the "failure" of the 18 minimum drinking age, the President Commission on Drunk Driving recommended establishing a national 21 minimum drinking age. President Reagan agreed and on July 17, 1984, he signed into law the Uniform Drinking Age Act mandating all states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age within five years. By 1988, all states had set 21 as the minimum drinking age.
-Source: http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/why21/history.html#sthash.OEW5eYek.dpuf
Timeline for the Drinking Age:
1934: Original ABC Act stated that the legal age for purchase, possession or consumption of any alcoholic beverage was 21 years of age.
1974: Legal Drinking Age (LDA) for beer lowered from 21 to 18. LDA for wine and liquor remained at 21 years old.
1981: LDA for beer remains at 18 for on-premises consumption and is raised to 19 for off-premises consumption.
1983: LDA is raised to 19 years old for all sales of beer.
1985: Persons born on or after July 1, 1966 will be able to purchase beer, wine and liquor on and after their 21st birthday. Persons born before July 1, 1966 will retain the privilege to purchase, possess and consume beer.1987LDA raised to 21 for all alcoholic beverages.