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.
Thirty years ago this week, Congress passed a bill that effectively raised the national drinking age to 21. Despite subsequent efforts to lower it in some states -- and the fact that most developed countries allow young people to legally drink at 18 -- that threshold has remained firmly in place ever since.