You might be surprised to learn that the legal drinking age across America wasn’t always 21. In fact, there was a time in the past 100 years when there was no actual minimum age for drinking because, well, legally speaking there was no actual booze to drink. Let’s consider the evolution of drinking and the legal drinking age in America starting with the Prohibition Era.
America’s Most Unpopular Era
2019 marked the 100th anniversary that absolutely no one wanted to celebrate. This is when the government passed the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act. Just like that, the switch was flipped and the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages was banned nationwide. It is interesting to note that drinking alcohol itself wasn’t against the law, but it might prove hard to drink or possess that which you cannot create, buy or sell.
As a result, the legal drinking age was essentially irrelevant. If someone under the age of 18 was in possession of booze it was the possession that was the issue, not the drinking of the alcohol itself. There were, of course, legal exceptions for medicinal and religious purposes. As a result, the “speakeasy” was birthed and in these quiet establishments, age wasn’t an issue so long as you knew the proprietor and/or password.
The End of Prohibition and the Start of Regulation
2033 might be a more noteworthy centennial. It will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of Prohibition. This resulted in an almost literal tsunami of alcohol flooding the country as bars, restaurants and nightclubs erupted into life. Along with this repeal, it was immediately realized that regulations would be needed. Most states set the legal drinking age at 21. This particular age was chosen because, at the time, it reflected cultural norms and expectations concerning alcohol’s impact on children and young adults.
At the time, there wasn’t a federal stance on the issue of an actual legal drinking age. The government simply left it up to each individual state to determine what worked best for their citizens. Again, 21 quickly became the norm as it is now. However, another looming amendment would change that and create a curious legal drinking age ripple effect across the nation.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
In 1971 the government passed the 26th amendment, which was responsible for lowering the voting age to 18. This amendment came about as a direct result of the Vietnam Conflict, even though the “old enough to fight, old enough to vote” slogan actually came about during World War II. This time, the issue quickly caught fire. After all, it was the late 60s when, well, every issue caught fire.
As a result of the passing of the 26th amendment, another rally was heard. “Old enough to fight, old enough to drink.” A point was made, and it was heard. Again, at this time, the federal government simply had no say nor want to say what the legal drinking age in the United States was or should be.
The states still held to their individual mandates. However, for many states there was a strong lean towards enacting a true change in the legal drinking age. It was as good a time as any to have a second look at who could vote, fight and drink altogether.
So, in the late 60s and early 70s several states decided to lower the legal drinking age to 20, 19 and even 18. According to our good friends at Wikipedia, as of 1975 most of the southern states, excluding Alabama, established and maintained a drinking age of 18. It was a brave new world for those caught in the crosshairs and the 18–20-year-olds celebrated accordingly.
The Drinking Generation
The party was on. A more youthful generation was now at the local bar. However, this also meant that those younger drinkers were now behind the wheel after leaving those bars. This led to concerns as highway fatalities started to stack up. Driving under the influence became a bigger issue than anticipated. It’s probably unsurprising that drunk driving laws in the 70s weren’t nearly as stringent and involved as they are today.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics between 1970 and 1986 DUI arrests increased by nearly 223%. As a result, from 1976 to about 1983 many of those states which lowered the drinking age were starting to realize the folly of that choice.
And so, the legal drinking age was raised once again. This was done to combat rising drunk driving fatalities and arrests, especially as it involved the younger demographics. Addiction issues were also a key concern. Those back-and-forth states, among others, also started to draft and then pass more rigorous drunk driving laws with a strong emphasis on prevention.
The Federal Government Steps In
In 1983, the federal government finally decided to have its say. A new national law was passed. All states were required to raise the legal drinking age to 21. However, not all states were excited about this requirement.
After all, there was the matter of revenue to be considered. Most bars, especially those in college towns, made a considerable profit from those younger, college-aged drinkers. If the legal drinking age in the United States was raised to 21, that would eliminate a lot of potential revenue on both a local and state level. As a result, a number of states put up resistance.
However, the government pushed back. With the passing of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act a punishment for non-compliance was included. If a state did not accept the federal law and raise the legal drinking age to 21, then that state would risk losing federal highway funding. The punishment promised that tens of millions of dollars or more would simply not be made available to any state that was not in compliance. Big Brother had his say and, slowly but surely, those non-compliant states saw the light.
Each state had a host of reasons for sticking to their lower legal age for drinking. As an example, the state of Louisiana had a lot to lose. Their beloved Mardi Gras season alone would be dearly affected. However, at the time Louisiana boasted one of the worst highway systems in the country and losing even more funding in that regard was unthinkable. The last states to accept the National Minimum Drinking Age Act were South Dakota and Wyoming. Those states held out until the spring of 1988.
The Debate is Over Before it Can Even Begin
There are exceptions to the federal law. Some states will still allow for underage drinking with parental consent. Those exceptions typically involve religious ceremonies and even educational purposes such as culinary programs. However, the debate on who can drink, fight and vote begins and ends with the federal highway funding mandate. Simply put, money is king and the government’s clever tie-in here quickly suffocates the potential for another drinking age debate. The last word on the matter has been spoken.
These days, drinking remains as popular as ever, though it is decreasing as Gen Z comes of age. The federal law now has several decades on the books. However, it is also true that underage drinkers have just as much experience dancing around that particular law. Back in the 80s, creating a fake state ID was a very simple process. These days, the issue is much more involved than owning a vial of liquid paper and a laminating machine.
Still, it’s important for alcohol servers to be fully aware of how easy it is for underage drinkers to slip through the cracks. As the technology for crafting an official state ID increases so does the technology for following suit with homemade identification. After all, if the law is clever, so must be the villain.
If you serve alcohol at a state-licensed establishment it is likely that you must be trained and certified in order to do so. Those state-approved training programs often involve courses designed to teach servers on how to spot a fake ID and/or deal with underage drinkers. While underage drinking seems like harmless fun to those underage drinkers, it constitutes a very real risk to their lives and the lives of those around them.
Are you beginning a job as a server? Are you an experienced server who needs to renew his or her certification for serving alcohol? Here at American Course Academy, we can help you achieve certification or renewal quickly and affordably. All you need is a Wi-Fi-enabled device and a few quick hours for the course study. In most cases you can acquire your printable certification on the same day you enroll, and our training courses are offered in both English and Spanish.
It’s never been easier to become a fully trained and certified member in the hospitality industry. Enroll in the applicable alcohol server course for your state with American Course Academy.
