Why is the drinking age 18 or less everywhere, but here in the states its 21?!
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
The drinking age in the United States is actually the law of each individual state.
However, when Elizabeth Dole, wife of former Senator Bob Dole, was Secretary of Transportation in the 1980's, she worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to have federal funding withheld from states who had drinking ages below 21.
As such, all the states were pretty much bullied by Elizabeth Dole and the MADD lobby to switch their drinking age laws to 21. South Dakota tried to fight the law, but it was held up by the Supreme Court.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Mi…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakot…
its actually a misconception of the law when people say the drinking age in the US is 21
federal law only makes PURCHASE age 21, and states have the ability to change this, but will loose federal highway funding
many states have allowances for underage to drink, with parental supervision. usually in private, but some states even allow this in restaurants
http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/state…
A simple difference in politics, for the most part.
Many states actually did have the age set at 18. However, Congress threatened to cut off the highway funding for any states that didn't raise the age to 21, effectively setting a single national age. (Congress does not have the power to do that through regular laws)
I love the idiots that pick on the Soldiers that probably saved their *** at one time or another this century.
American kids are no different than kids anywhere else. I've visited other countries and seen it first hand.
It's 21 because of the prudes that are reacting to statistics that show that older people get in accidents less frequently than younger. Thus a lot of it has to do with driving. Of course these same prudes ignore the fact that we send these same kids off to war, allow them to get married, vote...etc
It was 18 when I was a teenager and I think it should be changed back
Teens in the United States got into more alcohol-related accidents when the drinking age was eighteen than in any other country. That's why the age was raised.
You can thank yourselves for this one.
It was 21 here in Australia, until drafted soldiers convinced the government that if they were old enough to fight in a war, they should also be old enough to drink.
Because the USA is uptight. I mean it's ridiculous. I'm almost 17 and I can't even have a glass of champagne at a wedding reception!
Because no-one trusts the americans. Just ask our soldiers of whom you've fired upon in countless military battles.