The 21 Year-Old Minimum Drinking Age Law Still Saving Lives in the U.S.

Over 30 years ago President Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (NMDAA) that requires states to make 21 as the minimum age for purchasing or public possessing alcohol.  It is one of the most successful laws in traffic safety, and yet it seems like challenges keep coming up to take the age of drinking back to 18.

With April as Alcohol Awareness Month, it seems appropriate to review this life-saving law and provide the rationale for its continued existence.

Drunk driving was the number one cause of death for teens during this time.

Blood Borders

In the early 1980s, 23 states had a minimum drinking age of 21 and because of the difference of the minimum drinking age laws across the country, many states were seeing “blood borders.” Candace Lightner, Founder of MADD and a significant advocate for the passage of NMDAA, described blood borders this way:

Because the states were like a checkerboard of drinking ages, one state would be 18, one would be 19, one might be 20, one might be 21, young people would cross over the borders to go to a state with a lower drinking age law and unfortunately crash on the way back. This was really a terrible problem. . . . .

Teens were literally dying to get their alcohol. In fact, drunk driving was the number one cause of death for teens during this time.  Clearly a comprehensive approach was needed. On April 14, 1982, President Reagan issued Executive Order 12358, establishing the Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving. The Commission’s purpose was to examine the issue of drunk driving and make appropriate recommendations to combat this deadly topic. A year later, the Commission issued a final report with a number of recommendations.  In that report, the Commission made the 21 Uniform Minimum Drinking Age Law its number one priority. There was recognition by the Commission that something had to change; too many of our children were dying.  The law was passed within a year of the commission’s recommendations, and it is considered one of the fastest bills to successfully get through Congress.

National Minimum Drinking Age Act is Signed into Law

On July 17, 1984, at approximately 1:30 in the afternoon, President Reagan addressed everyone in the White House Rose Garden who were present to watch him sign the NMDAA. A strong supporter of “states’ rights,” in this situation, President Reagan declared:

This problem is bigger than the individual States. It’s a grave national problem, and it touches all our lives. With the problem so clear-cut and the proven solution at hand, we have no misgiving about this judicious use of Federal power. I’m convinced that it will help persuade State legislators to act in the national interest to save our children’s lives, by raising the drinking age to 21 across the country.

Within a few years after President Reagan signed the bill, every state passed legislation that complied with the law.

The Impact of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act

Occasionally there are questions raised along with a push to reduce the age limit with the latest push happening in New Jersey. Thus far, those efforts have failed. They have failed because the research and the science do not support that effort.  Since the early 1980s, there has been a 77% decline in drunk driving deaths for drivers ages 16 to 20. No other age group has had a greater improvement. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the 21-year-old minimum-drinking-age laws have reduced alcohol traffic fatalities by 13 percent and have saved almost 30,000 young lives since 1975.

Even at age 21 the brain is still developing

30,000 lives saves is actually a very conservative estimate.  When looking at issues beyond traffic safety, the NMDAA has impacted such problems areas as homicides, suicides, risky sexual behavior and poor academic performance. Underage drinking is associated with these significant problems and by reducing the number of teens drinking alcohol, these issues have also decreased.

Additionally, since the passage of NMDAA, the scientific evidence supports its continuation.  Thanks to technological advances involving brain scans, we now know that even at age 21 the brain is still developing. There are important changes occurring in brain development during the teenage years.  Alcohol retards these changes, and has both short- and long-term effects, including damage to:

• Memories
• Learning capabilities
• Decision–making process, and
• Reasoning ability

The earlier a person starts to drink, the greater the likelihood the person will become alcohol dependent at some point in his or her life. Over 40% of the youth who start drinking at age 14 or younger will become alcohol dependent; versus 10% of those who become dependent when they start drinking at age 21 or later.

Overseas Comparisons

A common challenge raised is that lower drinking ages are allowed in Europe and they have fewer alcohol problems, therefore we should follow Europe’s lead on drinking age laws and tolerance. But the research says the exact opposite is true. European youth drink more alcohol than here in the United States, and there is a higher proportion of those who drink to intoxication. Also of concern, when European countries are compared to other regions of the world, Europe has the highest per capita of alcohol consumption, the highest proportion of alcohol dependence and the highest rate of deaths due to alcohol misuse. When looking at all of the measures used to consider this issue, Europe is not a model to emulate. In actuality, it is the U.S. that should be considered a role model for other countries when considering an alcohol policy and teens.

It is also noteworthy that after New Zealand reduced its minimum drinking age from 20 to 18, there was a significant increase in alcohol-related crashes among 15-19 year olds.  The increase in drinking by those 18-19 years old was followed by an increase by 16-17 years old even though for the younger ages it was still illegal. Lowering the minimum drinking age also impacts those who are even younger.

Parents are a vital part of the equation.

The Guiding Hands of Parents

For many, it all starts at home.  Parents are a vital part of the equation.  80 percent of teens report that their parents are a leading factor in their decision to drink or not to drink.  The guidance provided by parents can help keep teens alcohol- and drug-free, and that guidance has to start early and continue until they are 21.  Allowing a teen to drink alcohol at home is not guidance.  Early introduction to alcohol is a primary risk factor for problem drinking during adolescence. Learning about the harms when teens drink and how to discuss it with their teens is guidance.  Providing an environment of open discourse is guidance. Setting limits and not allowing underage drinking in the home or anywhere else while the child is under the age of 21 is guidance.  Guidance is taking the time to learn, to talk, and to provide a great role model.

Making a Difference and Saving Lives

April—Alcohol Awareness Month—is a time to review and explore what we can do better to reduce alcohol dependence. We examine what steps we should take to improve everyone’s lives. Reducing the drinking age is not one of those steps.  Over thirty years ago, forward-thinking leaders looked at an issue and pushed for a controversial solution, a solution that made common sense. We now know that the solution developed 32 years ago ended blood borders, saved tens of thousands of lives and created healthier communities. Fortunately, this law is not done yet. It has more lives to save and more communities to improve. This is one law that keeps moving forward; doing the work it was designed for, and saving lives.