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.
After Prohibition, nearly all states adopted a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) of 21. Between 1970 and 1975, however, 29 states lowered the MLDA to 18, 19, or 20, largely in response to the change in the voting age. Studies conducted at the time showed that youth traffic crashes increased as states lowered their MLDA.