Change the legal drinking age from 21 years old to 18 years old.

 

The purpose of this bill is to decrease the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to prevent a mindset of illegal activities

and create a more effective law. Many people under the age of 21 drink alcohol, as it is normalised in high school and

college. This leads to noncompliance of the law, which ultimately leads to less enforcement of the law. Additionally,

people who break the law once are more likely to break it again and create unlawful habits. Changing the MLDA would

decrease additional illegal behavior justified by already breaking the law with no repercussions, and make a law that is

more heavily enforced.

 

A staggering 60% of 18-year-olds have admitted to having at least 1 alcoholic drink. This proves that the MLDA is not

enforced enough and is too commonly broken. With restaurants, bars, and other public places not allowing drinking, it

causes people to drink in unsafe places and acquire more fake IDs. Neither unsafe drinking nor fake IDs are good things,

so changing the MLDA would help lower these. Another argument is that 18-year-olds can take out loans, vote, and enter

the military, which are all huge responsibilities. Lowering the MLDA to 18 would make it align with other laws and

rights that 18-year-olds have.

 

MLDA- Minimum legal drinking age

 

There would be no funding necessary for this bill.

 

State enforcement of MLDA would stay the same, but be more heavily enforced.

 

This bill would go into effect on August 1st, 2026.