In the years following the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, alcohol consumption fell by 19 per cent among 18- to 20-year-olds and by 14 per cent among 21- to 25-year-olds. This was particularly interesting because research has shown that most minors report that alcohol is “fairly easy” or “very easy” to obtain. When it comes to alcohol, even small behavioral checks seem important, Glasner-Edwards says. “If it takes more effort, it saves the person some time to think about how important it is for them to drink at that time or to consider the possible negative consequences of alcohol consumption,” she explains. “It seems that these barriers are significant for young people to benefit from these minimum age laws. Using a variety of research methods, at least 50 studies have examined the effects of changes in the MLDA on traffic accidents (Wagenaar, 1993). Some studies have assessed policy changes in a single state, while others have analyzed the impact of MLDA on multiple states. These studies assessed the effects of changes in the SHS on a variety of outcomes, including the total number of adolescent road fatalities; convictions for impaired driving; accidents with injuries; and nighttime deaths in individual vehicles (the accidents most likely to involve alcohol). The Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) sets the legal age at which a person can purchase alcoholic beverages. The MLDA in the United States is 21 years. However, prior to the passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, the legal age at which alcohol could be purchased varied from state to state.1 For the most part, July 17 is a rather anticlimactic day. (Unless you claim this date as your birthday, in which case, woo! Confetti keywords and banners.) Without knowing it, however, something happened in 1984 that affects many of us: the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed, which set the legal drinking age at 21.
* For established religious purposes;* If a person under twenty-one years of age is accompanied by a parent, spouse or guardian twenty-one years of age or older;* For medical purposes, if purchased as an over-the-counter drug or prescribed or administered by a physician, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, a hospital or an authorized medical facility;* In a private dwelling, which includes a residential dwelling and up to twenty contiguous hectares on which the dwelling belonging to the same person who owns it is situated;* the sale, handling, transport or service of supplying alcoholic beverages on the basis of the lawful ownership of an establishment or the lawful employment of a person under twenty-one years of age by a duly licensed producer, wholesaler or retailer of alcoholic beverages. The current legal drinking age of 21 in the United States is a source of disagreement among some Americans. It is above the age of majority in many states (18) and the drinking age of most other countries. However, the history of the age of alcohol consumption in America has told a very different story. But the legal drinking age was not set for medical reasons. Wisconsin was the first U.S. state to adopt a minimum age for drinking alcohol in 1839. It prevented the sale of wines or spirits to persons under the age of 18 without parental consent.
The Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) laws are an example of how scientific research can support effective public policy. Between 1970 and 1975, 29 States lowered their MLDAs; Subsequently, scientists found that traffic accidents among teenagers increased significantly. Adolescent alcohol use is associated with many problems, including traffic accidents, drowning, vandalism, assault, homicide, suicide, early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Research has shown the effectiveness of a higher MLDA in preventing injuries and deaths in adolescents. Despite laws prohibiting the sale or supply of alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, minors can easily obtain alcohol from many sources. Increasing levels of MLDA enforcement and deterrence for adults who may sell or provide alcohol to minors can help prevent further injuries and deaths among adolescents. In examining the success of another country with a particular policy, one cannot simply compare international rates of alcohol-related problems without assessing the role of factors contributing to the problems. Many cultural, political and social conditions, which differ from country to country, influence the rate of alcohol consumption. The most robust research, though conducted in the United States, has shown a strong inverse relationship between MLDA and alcohol consumption and associated problems: As MLDA increases, alcohol-related problems decrease in adolescents. As MLDA changes occur in Europe, researchers will be able to more accurately determine the effects of higher MLDA on alcohol-related problems in European adolescents. Commercial establishments licensed to sell alcohol, as well as social sources, face criminal penalties, fines, licence suspensions and prosecution for selling or supplying alcohol to minors.
Why do they still provide alcohol to teenagers? One reason for this is that policies are not actively enforced. For policies to effectively prevent certain behaviours, people must believe that they have a chance to get caught and face quick consequences if they do not comply (Gibbs, 1975; Ross, 1992). Wolfson and colleagues (1996b) found that only 38% of alcohol dealers surveyed thought they were likely to be cited for selling alcohol to minors. More research is needed to determine whether social sources are aware of their legal responsibility for providing alcohol to adolescents and whether they see a high likelihood of being punished for it.
