Can you drink at the age of 19?

In the United States, the minimum legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages is 21 years of age; the two exceptions are Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands where the age is 18. The legal drinking age varies by state.

When did the drinking age change to 19?

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.

Why did they change the drinking age from 18 to 21?

Organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving began agitating for a uniform national drinking age of 21 to help eliminate these blood borders and keep alcohol out of the hands of supposedly less-mature 18-year-olds. As a result, President Reagan signed the aforementioned National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984.

Why the drinking age should not be lowered to 18?

The drinking age shouldn’t be lowered because of three very real risks: drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and violent and/or destructive behavior. Above: Every 12 minutes, another person dies in a car accident. Drunk driving is a blight on our civilization. After age 25, the drunk driving rates decrease.

Why is the legal drinking age 21 in the US?

The expense and limited availability of liquor also helped keep it out of youthful hands. After Prohibition, it was left up to the states to regulate alcohol, and most states made the legal drinking age 21, the same as the age for voting and other adult rights.

How old do you have to be to drink alcohol?

By 1984, only three states allowed 18 -year-olds to drink. Five states and the District of Columbia regulated various degrees of alcohol consumption among those 18 and over. The remaining states had a patchwork of minimum ages ranging from 19 to 21.

What was the legal drinking age in the 1970s?

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.

What are the risks of drinking alcohol as a teenager?

Alcohol and its risks for teenagers. Young people are at greater risk of alcohol-related harm than adults. As the brain keeps developing into your mid-twenties, drinking alcohol as a teenager can greatly increase the risk of damage to the developing brain. It can also lead to problems with alcohol later in life.