Junior Theme: Why is the Drinking Age in the United States 21 Years Old?
Abstract Underage drinking is becoming ever more popular among the youth of America. In my high school alone the average percent of underage binge drinkers is more than double the national average of 14% . This taboo custom is viewed as a rite of passage among teenagers and is influenced by depictions of underage drinking in the media. The ever growing complaints of a higher drinking age than Europe seem to plague my school's hallways. I decided to further investigate why the United States’ alcohol consumption laws are so different from any other country. Reflection I have found this topic to be very important in today’s society especially with the legalization of marijuana in more states and the increased use of vaping as they have made substance abuse even more prevalent in today’s society. I was exceptionally surprised when I learned of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 , which required each state to raise the drinking age from 18 to 21 as a condition of rec