{"id":129136,"date":"2024-10-08T13:24:48","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T20:24:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madd.org\/?page_id=129136"},"modified":"2024-10-24T14:28:08","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T21:28:08","slug":"why-21","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/madd.org\/why-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Why 21"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Why 21<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUnderage drinking facts prove the need for the Minimum Legal Drinking Age.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Why is 21 the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA)?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore than 25,000 lives have been saved in the U.S. thanks to the MLDA. This law continues to curb teen drinking and prevent tragedies—decreasing crashes by an estimated 16 percent and keeping young people safe.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy do we make young people wait until 21 to drink alcohol?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Many activities have ages of initiation. A person must wait until age 16 to start driving, age 18 to marry without parental consent, age 35 to become president and so on.<\/span><\/p>

The age limit for alcohol is based on research which shows that young people react differently to alcohol. Teens get drunk twice as fast as adults, <\/span>9<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0but have more trouble knowing when to stop. Teens naturally overdo it and binge more often than adults.<\/span><\/p>

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Enforcing the legal drinking age of 21 reduces traffic crashes involving <\/span>drunk teens<\/span>, <\/span>4-6<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0protects young people\u2019s maturing brains,<\/span>12,14<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0and keeps young people safer overall.<\/span><\/p>

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References
<\/span>4. Fell, J.; \u201cMinimum Legal Drinking Age Policy Knowledge Asset,\u201d website created by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation\u2019s Substance Abuse Policy Research Program; March 2009.
<\/span>6. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis \u201cLives Saved in 2012 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws\u201d DOT HS 811 851 A Brief Statistical Summary 2013.\u00a0Read More<\/a>
<\/u><\/span>12. Shults, Ruth A., Elder, Randy W., Sleet, David A., Nichols, James L., Alao, Mary O. Carande-Kulis, Vilma G., Zaza, Stephanie, Sosin, Daniel M., Thompson, Robert S., and the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. \u201cReviews of Evidence Regarding Interventions to Reduce Alcohol-Impaired Driving.\u201d Am J Prev Med 2001;21(4S).\u00a0<\/span>Read More<\/u>
<\/a>\u00a014. Zeigler DW, Wang CC, Yoast RA, Dickinson BD, Mccaffree MA, Robinowitz CB, et al. The Neurocognitive Effects of Alcohol on Adolescents and College Students. Prev Med 2005 Jan;40(1):23-32.\u00a0\u00a0Read More<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/h6><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow many children under the age of 12 try marijuana each day in the U.S.? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Children as young as nine years old already start viewing alcohol in a more positive way, and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>approximately 3,300 kids as young as 12 try marijuana each day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>


References<\/span>
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. SMA 1<\/span><\/span>8-5068, NSDUH Series H-53). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat percentage of teens have tried alcohol? + <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

About 30 percent<\/span>\u00a0of 8th<\/sup> graders have tried alcohol.<\/span>\u00a0
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References
Johnston, L. D., Miech, R. A., O\u2019Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., Schulenberg, J. E., & Patrick, M. E. (2020). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use 1975-2019: Overview, key findings on adolescent drug use. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.<\/h6><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow does underage drinking affect teens as they get older?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are six times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years.<\/span><\/p>

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<\/i>References<\/span>
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Substance Abuse\u00a0<\/span>and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, MD; 2016.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow many people become addicted to cannabis?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
About 1 in 10 cannabis users will become addicted. For people who begin using before the\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nage of 18, that number rises to 1 in 6.<\/span>\u00a0<\/i><\/span>\n
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References<\/span>\n<\/span>Lopez-Quintero, C, et al. (2011). Probability and predictors of transition from first use to dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine: results of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Drug Alcohol Depend. 115(1-2): p. 120-30<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow common is it that kids drink and do drugs? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
1 in 3 youth who drink alcohol have also combined alcohol with cannabis on the same evenings. On these occasions, they tend to experience 2-3 times more problems compared to those when they only consume alcohol.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n
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References<\/span>\n<\/span>Mallett, K.A., Turrisi, R., Hultgren, B.A., Sell, N., Reavy, R., & Cleveland, M. (2017). When alcohol is only part of the problem: An event-level analysis of negative consequences related to alcohol and other substance use. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 31(3), 307-314. PMCID: PMC5422123.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWould lowering the legal drinking age make alcohol less of a big deal, and less attractive to teens?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
History says no. When states had lower legal drinking ages in the U.S., the underage drinking problem was worse.3<\/sup><\/span><\/span>\u00a0For example, before the 21 minimum legal drinking age was implemented by all states, <\/span>teens drinking and driving<\/span> were involved in over twice as many fatal traffic crashes as today.<\/span>3<\/span><\/span>\n\n\nReferences
3.\u00a0<\/span>Fell, James. From “Chapter 2: Federalism: Resolved, the Federal Government should restore each State’s freedom to set its drinking age.” in Ellis, Richard and Nelson, Michael (eds.) Debating Reform. CQPress Publishers, Fall 2009.<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCan\u2019t parents teach their teens how to drink alcohol responsibly by giving them small amounts-under supervision-before they reach 21?\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Some states permit parents to do this with their own child (rarely, if ever, with someone else\u2019s child), but there\u2019s no evidence that this approach actually works.3<\/sup> As matter of fact, there is evidence to contrary. When teens feel they have their parents\u2019 approval to drink, they do it more and more often when they are not with their parents. When parents have concrete, enforced rules about alcohol, according to binge drinking statistics, young people binge drink less. However, kids who are simply more connected with their parents, for example, who attend family dinners more frequently, are less likely to drink alcohol or use other drugs among other risk factors.7<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

References
3.\u00a0<\/span>Fell, James. From “Chapter 2: Federalism: Resolved, the Federal Government should restore each State’s freedom to set its drinking age.” in Ellis, Richard and Nelson, Michael (eds.) Debating Reform. CQPress Publishers, Fall 2009.<\/span>
7.\u00a0<\/span>Fulkerson, J.A., Story, M., Mellin, A., Leffert, N., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & French, S.A. (2006). Family Dinner Meal Frequency and Adolescent Development: Relationships with Developmental Assets and High-Risk Behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(3), 337-345.; Eisenberg, M.E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Fulkerson, J.A., & Story, M. (2008). Family meals and substance use: is there a long-term protective association? Journal of Adolescent Health, 43(2), 151-156.; Fulkerson, J.A., Kubik, M.Y., Story, M., Lytle, L., & Arcan, C. (2009). Are there nutritional and other benefits associated with family meals among at-risk youth? Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(4), 389-395.; Skeer, M.R., & Ballard, E.L. (2013). Are family meals as good for youth as we think they are? A review of the literature on family meals as they pertain to adolescents’ risk prevention. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(7), 943-963; Perasso, G., Carone, N., Health Behavior in School Aged Children Lombardy Group 2014, & Barone, L. (2019). Alcohol consumption in adolescence: the role of adolecents’ gender, parental control, and family dinners attendance in an Italian HBSC sample. Journal of Family Studies, 1-13.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t