Can I buy you a drink?

The legal drinking age in the United States should be 19 years old. I am asking you to support local, state, and federal changes to the current law.

“The legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act. The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that all states are in compliance with this act. The national law specifically prohibits purchase and public possession of alcoholic beverages." This law is little more then extortion in the threat of with holding funds unless the state and local communities agree to a One-size fits all age limit.

The current legal drinking age in Europe is 16 in Restaurants and 18 overall. In Latin America the legal drinking age is 18. Only Japan and Iceland have higher legal drinking ages, at 20, and the United States is almost alone with a legal drinking age of 21. No other country on earth has a higher legal drinking age then the United States.

• Only Muslim countries and the United States have the legal drinking age of 21.
  
• The 26Th Amendment to the US Constitution established the legal voting age at 18.


• The current legal enlistment age to join the US Military is 17 years old.

Does anyone find these facts to be nearly impossible to believe? Only Muslim countries, where alcohol is basically banned, have the 21 year old legal drinking age. Canada is 19 and Mexico is 18. You can join the Army at 17 and carry a machine gun, but you can not drink.

High School students should not be drinking and sharing alcohol with peers. This leads to the traffic deaths that brought about the national law. But, once you graduate from High School you are expected to become an adult. You either work or attend college with older co-workers and peers. This leads to alcohol related issues. Responsible 19 and 20 year olds are forced into situations where they either break the law or opt out of social situations because of absurd drinking laws.

We need a responsbile law if we expect responsible citizens to follow the law. The current 21 year old age limit is stupid.