Why is 21 the age for drinking?

Teens get drunk twice as fast as adults,9 but have more trouble knowing when to stop. Teens naturally overdo it and binge more often than adults. Enforcing the legal drinking age of 21 reduces traffic crashes,4-6 protects young people's maturing brains,12,14 and keeps young people safer overall.
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Why is the drinking age 21 and not 25?

The drinking age was raised back to 21 over federal highway funding. In 1984, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act passed, which stated federal highway funds would be withheld from U.S. states that failed to set the minimum legal drinking age back at 21. By 1988, all the states had adopted the age minimum.
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Why was the drinking age changed from 18 to 21?

To encourage a national drinking age, Congress enacted the national MLDA. A review by the U.S. General Accounting Office, conducted in 1988, found that raising the drinking age reduced youth drinking, youth driving after drinking, and alcohol-related traffic accidents among youth.
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Why isn't the drinking age 18?

According to the CDC, drinking below the age of 21 is linked with death from alcohol poisoning, car crashes, drowning, suicide, school performance problems, etc.
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When did 21 become the drinking age?

In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which required states to raise their ages for purchase and public possession to 21 by October 1986 or lose 10% of their federal highway funds.
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Why the US drinking age is 21



What is the drinking age in Mexico?

The minimum legal drinking age in Mexico is 18 years old. Mexico requires that young adults show photo identification, either a passport or driver's license, as proof of age when buying alcohol.
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What is Japan's drinking age?

In Japan, the legal adult age is 20. Japanese law prohibits individuals under the age of 20 to drink alcohol or smoke. Regardless of age, you must not force anyone to drink or smoke as it may cause serious health and social consequences.
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What is the lowest drinking age in the world?

The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time. Seven countries do not have a government-mandated drinking age, while 11 countries ban the consumption of booze entirely.
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What is the highest drinking age in the world?

Around the world, the age when it's legal to purchase or be served most alcohol products varies from 13 in Burkina Faso to 25 in Eritrea.
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Why lowering the drinking age is good?

Allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to drink alcohol in regulated environments with supervision would decrease unsafe drinking activity. There are fewer drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities in many countries with MLDA of 18.
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Can you drink at 18 in the US?

Although the minimum legal age to purchase alcohol is 21 in all states and most territories (see National Minimum Drinking Age Act), the legal details for consumption vary greatly. While a few states completely ban alcohol usage for people under 18, the majority have exceptions that permit consumption.
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Why is the drinking age 16 in Germany?

Objective of defining a legal age for consumption of alcohol

The main objective of such German laws is to protect youth from severe alcohol consumption, which, if not done, may lead to a situation where these young people will have no control over their senses.
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What is Europe's drinking age?

4. AGE RESTRICTIONS ON ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN EUROPE: WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY ARE THEY SET? The most common alcohol minimum purchasing age in the European Region is 18 years old.
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Which countries have no drinking age?

However, Angola (except Luanda Province), Central African Republic, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Togo have no laws on the books restricting the sale of alcohol to minors. In Libya, Somalia and Sudan the sale, production and consumption of alcohol is completely prohibited.
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What country has a drinking age of 21?

Countries in which the drinking age is 21:

Kiribati. Marshall Islands. Micronesia. Mongolia — 18 if with parents.
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Should the drinking age be lower than 21?

Proponents of lowering the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21 argue that it has not stopped teen drinking, and has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behavior by teens.
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What is Russia's drinking age?

In Russia, the legal drinking age is usually eighteen. Usually, because there are some exceptions to that case. Technically, stronger alcohol such as cognac and vodka is sold only to those over 21.
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What age can you drink in Italy?

If you are planning a family trip to il Bel Paese—especially if your teenage children or grandchildren are part of the brood—you may be wondering about the legal drinking age in Italy and local drinking customs. The legal drinking age in Italy is currently 18 years old.
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What is German drinking age?

Belgium, Denmark and Germany set 16 years as the minimum age for purchasing beverages containing less than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol and 18 years for buying spirits (more than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol).
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What is today's drinking age?

Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) laws specify the legal age when an individual can purchase alcoholic beverages. The MLDA in the United States is 21 years.
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What is Canada's drinking age?

Standard drinks per week per person are calculated for each person of legal drinking age in Canada. The legal drinking age is 19 years and older in every province and territory except Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta where it is 18 years and older.
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What is the Korean drinking age?

Alcohol. The legal drinking age in Korea is 19 years of age. Although it is legal to drink alcohol in public, disorderly conduct under the influence of alcohol can result in hefty fines and a visit to the police station.
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What age can you marry in Japan?

Who Can Get Married in Japan? Article 731 to 737 of the Japanese Civil Code stipulates the following requirements: The male partner must be 18 years of age or older and the female partner must be 18 years of age or older.
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