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Speak Up! - View Question #512 |
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Question: Was there ever a time when the drinking age was 18 years? If so, when?
Answer: Before 1986, some U.S. states had a drinking age of 21 and some had a drinking age of 18. State governments in each of the 50 US states, not the federal government, control the minimum drinking age. However, the federal government can force states into adopting certain laws.
In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Purchase Age Act, to encourage each state to institute a minimum legal purchase age (MLPA) of 21 by 1986. This act made it nearly impossible for states to receive funding from the federal government for construction of highways if the minimum legal drinking age was under 21. Since all states depend on the federal government for highway funding (which equals Billions of dollars each year) all US states enacted minimum drinking ages of 21.
Today, the minimum drinking age in all 50 US states is 21 years of age.
The main federal acts concerned with alcoholic beverages are:
Title 27 of the United States Code (Federal Law)
The Federal Alcohol Administration Act, at 27 USC §§201 - 207
The Federal Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act, at 27 USC §§213 - 219a.
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| 31 thru 35 of 56 comments |
On 08/05/03
Cantiflas from AZ said:
Countries with no drinking age do not have much of a problem with alcohol. Someone's behavior or responsiblity of drinking alcohol depends on how they were raised. Good parenting makes good people.
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On 07/24/03
Lewis from TX said:
Well the way I see it, even though the age is 18, I still purchase alcohol, and if i can't someone else will purchase it for me. The way I see it, if your 18, you are considered as an adult, and should have the right to purchase alcohol, so you should let us purchase alcohol. most people who are under the age of 21, and drink beer are more mature, than the one who are 21 and over, doesn't make sense.
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On 03/17/03
Emma from OR said:
My mom is an alcoholic, and I was raped at age 15 and yes I was drunk, but I believe with all my soul that even if I wasnt drunk, it wouldnt have helped me one bit. like people have said before, at age 18 you have have sex, vote, move out, smoke, and so on, why not drink? its a 3 year difference. OBVIOUSLY you guys dont remember what it was like to be under 21. even though the age limit was 21, you still found ways to get the alcohol, no matter what. There going to do it no matter what, lower the age limit to 18... there going to do it anyways...
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On 01/27/03
Gabe from CA said:
I think that we should be able to drink at 18. We're considered responisibe enough to marry, have sex, vote, smoke, and join the army at 18, so why not drink? However, I don't think this is going to change soon, since the proponents of lowering the age that are presented here can't spell or avoid using idiotic slang when they're NOT drinking (at least, I'd assume they're not), so god help us when they're allowed to legally.
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On 01/02/03
mai yang from MN said:
yeah i think that beer should be legal to be purchase at age 18, because if you're allowed to defend your counutry and die for your country, then why can't you buy a bottle of beer or a case of beer???
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