In that case, said Tom Cecial, I was a madman of my own accord when I volunteered to become your squire, and, of my own accord, I'll leave off being one and go home. View in context
The National Minimum Drinking Age Act is perhaps the law that has the most impact on the day-to-day lives of Americaâs youth since it was signed into law on July 17, 1984. While the 21-year-old drinking age seems embedded in American society, it is only a recent innovation.
The Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, establishing 21 as the minimum legal purchase age. Drinking by high school seniors has fallen substantially â from 66% to 42% (see chart). During this same period, binge drinking by high school seniors â that is, having five or more drinks on an occasion â has fallen from 37% to 24%.