Was the drinking age in America ever lower than 21?!
Was the drinking age in America ever lower than 21?
I heard from multiple people that back in the 60s and 70s and I guess earlier than that, you only had to be 18 to drink alcohol. Is this true? Please don't answer if you weren't around that time, cause you don't know.
Answers:
Yes, in Maryland it was 18. I just missed the limit when they raised it. Washinton DC raised theirs a few years later. So my gf's and I would take road trips to Dc to go to the clubs.
I'm in my 40's so I was around.
Actually I joined the Army and was stationed in Louisiana when I was 19. That was in 1995, and the drinking age in that state was 19. I think it changed to 21 about 1997 there.
Drinking ages can vary by state, not our entire nation.
i think so ............................
When I was in college in Northeast Missouri, Iowa had a drinking age limit of 19. So, my roommates and I made some road trips! But, even though they had the lower age limit, there were many dry counties in Iowa that didn't sell any alcohol at all! Also, in the day, you couldn't buy liquor in Missouri on Sundays at all. I think in those days, the drinking age limit was decided state by state.
Yes you heard correct that it was 18. I was not around in that time but my parents were.
yes it used to be 18
yeah it was 18 and then my mom said the year they changed it to 21 was the year she turned 18
Yes, that is true. I lived in Wisconsin for a time in the late 70's/early 80's and the drinking age at that time was 18. There was no differenciation between being 18 and 21, either.
In 1980 they changed the drinking age from 18 to 19 years old but grandfathered in the people who were already 18. Then, after it didn't matter to me they upped the drinking age to 21. This was in Texas but I think that every state assigns it's own age limit.
Yeh, a long time ago in like the 19th century, teens at the age of 15 were able to drink. That was something that was in my history book. And yeh, you could be 18 to drink in the 60s and 70s. It just depended on what state you were in.
In WI it was changed to 21 in 1986.
I don't remember exactly when this was changed in Wisconsin but there used to be 'beer bars' where only beer was served (no hard liquor) and you could drink in those at 18 but couldn't buy liquor until you were 21.
yes it was 18.
The state of Rhode Island was the last state to change it from 18 to 21 in 1984.
Many states used to be 19 back in the 70's by the early 80's federal government passed a law tied to highway funding that made the limit 21. States could go lower if they want, like Lousiana might have a 19 beer drinking law, but they risk losing highway funding.
It was 18 when I was coming up, in the 70's, I don't really remember when they changed it.
yes
Yes it is true. A lot of the states switched it to 21 in the 80's. I was around then. Each state made it's own laws regarding the limit. Today, there are counties in some states that are dry counties and no alcohol is sold. I forgot the name of the state where drinking is not allowed on Sundays or something like that. Like I said, states make their own laws regarding this.
oh yes i remember as a child my brother reached 17 and was able to drink then i remember it being 18 then 19 then 21