Frequently Asked Questions

MLDA/Age 21

Does educating teens about safe alcohol use starting at age 18 encourage responsible drinking?
Is there support for lowering the legal drinking age?
Have better safety measures, tougher enforcement, and the use of designated drivers caused the reduction in traffic deaths?
What does the research say about the effects of the MLDA?
If a person can go to war, shouldn't he or she be able to have a beer?
Are there fewer alcohol-related problems in countries where youth are allowed to drink at earlier ages?
What are the long-term effects of alcohol use on a developing brain?
Should we reduce the Minimum Legal Drinking Age to 18?
What strategies are effective for reducing high-risk alcohol use?
Has the minimum legal drinking age been lowered before? What were the results of that "natural experiment"?
Many youth under age 21 still drink, despite the current legal drinking age. Doesn't that prove that this policy is ineffective?