Why is the drinking age 21 and not 18 anymore?

Many states tried a lower drinking age back in the 70s and 80s, and the result was carnage on the highways, as drunk driving deaths involving young people sharply increased. Unlike most other countries, most US high school students have driver's l... read more

The drinking age was traditionally 21 in most of the US since the voting age was 21, after the 26th Amendment was passed ( a direct result of Vietnam) and the legal voting age was lowered to 18 many states followed suit with their drinking age. read more

When I was 18, the drinking age WAS 18, at least in the state I lived in then, Michigan. Michigan lowered the legal drinking age from 21 to 18, if I recall correctly, sometime in the late 1960’s or early 70’s. read more

Not quite. The concept that a person becomes a full adult at age 21 dates back centuries in English common law; 21 was the age at which a person could, among other things, vote and become a knight. Since a person was an official adult at age 21, it seemed to make sense that they could drink then, too. read more