Most states in the nation adopted a minimum drinking age of 21 soon after federal passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which required states to maintain a minimum drinking age of 21. Under the Federal Aid Highway Act, States were required to enforce the minimum drinking age of 18 in order to avoid a 10% reduction in federal highway funds. The original intention of the law was to reduce the incidents of alcohol-related accidents among people under 21. But since passage of this legislation, and the raising of the drinking age in many states, the percentage of people who drink between the ages of 18 to 20 has skyrocketed. Many say the prohibitions have actually encouraged secretive binge drinking, more dangerous behavior, and less educational programming targeting this age group. Respected law enforcement officials and university presidents have recently called for changes in the federal law to permit states to lower the drinking age.

At age 18, people are legal adults. As much as their parents may think otherwise, they are no longer children. They have the right to vote and help choose the President of the United States. They can go to war to defend our country, and they can legally purchase guns and cigarettes. It is absolutely absurd that they cannot have a beer or glass of wine without fear of possible arrest and prosecution.

It's time for the nation to repeal these Prohibition-era laws and adopt a more intelligent, progressive, and educational approach to drinking among younger adults. These laws simply don't work, they aren't enforceable any longer, and if anything they are counterproductive. Literally millions of responsible young adults are already consuming alcohol and that's not going to change. What we need to do is stop wasting the taxpayers money chasing, charging and prosecuting responsible young adults who want to have a beer, and start putting the money where it ought to be, in promoting smart education about responsible drinking, and in pursuing far more serious criminals, including those at all ages who drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
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Eric Paine
President & Founder
Drink At 18
http://drinkat18.com/

I am a 17 year old high school student and I am writing a pursuassive speech on lowering the drinking age to 18. And I am for lowering it. You may think it;s just because I want to drink next year, no, it's not. I believe that if you are old enough to be considred an adult, you can get married, you can die for your country, and you can vote, I believe you are old enough and responsible enough to have a few drinks. So what if there are studies out there saying by having the drinking age at 21 can save lives? Being a teenager, I know that we like to rebel, obviously. So lowering the drinking age, it could very possibly lower the amount of underage drinking. And I read in a book that teens just getting their liscences are very cautious of loosing it, so therefore, it would possibly lower the underage driving. I also don't think that we need to "take classes or have an I.D." like were going through Driver's Ed., that's just plain stupid in my opinion. So, yeah I'm only 17, but I'm not stupid by any means.

No fair. :(

I think that their shouldnt be an age level where u cant drink!! Kids can go out and drink if they want to. We all get smashed sometime in our life, why not do it all the time? I drink everyday!! I prolly drink around 45 beers a night and i turned out alright. BEER BEER BEER!!!! WE NEED BEER!

The drinking age is 21 and it has become a big controversial issue on weather or not it should be lower to 18 teenagers like to do things that makes them look cool such as drinking under age people need to reliaze this if you should lower the drinking age teens will be less intreasted in drinking it will not be fun or intreasting to them anymore. If a teen is alowed to serve in the military with adults why cant they be allowed to drink thats my question?

I agree with most proponents of lowering the f-ing drinking age You can be kicked out of your parents house at 18 sent over-seas at 18 put in adult jail at 17-18 but you can't have a relaxer after dealing with 18 years of bull$h!t kiss my @$$ That's not right at all maybe there would be less problems with underage drinking if young adults were taught at that young age a little responsibility Throwing your 18 year old to the street all that's gonna do is encourage them to say "hey if I gotta deal with this f***it i'm gettin wasted" and believe me i've seen this scenario along with others like it There is no way your gonna stop this from escalating with the exception of lowering the age and either letting the parents do their job and teach or let the 18's go for alcohol licence classes and that's the bottom line

want to help lower the legal drinking age? visit to sign the petition I made on www.whitehouse.gov . it takes less than 5 minutes. let's use the right given to us in the 1st amendment