How is the drinking age Federally mandated?
In 1984 Congress passed the law that made it illegal for anyone in the United States under the age of 21 to purchase or publicly possess alcohol. While drinking laws are and always have been a states issue, the federal government was able to enforce the minimum age by making it a part of the Federal Aid Highway Act .
So for 28 years, states have been compelled to keep the minimum legal drinking age at 21 or face losing their federal highway funding.
I think it’s one of those “do it or we don’t give you your money back” tax things.
You can keep your drinking age at 18 but we’re not going to give you any money for your highways.
read the article and you will learn how..
MADD and Highway money.
Through a perversion of federalism which began during the 1973 “energy crisis” when Congress imposed a nationwide 55 mph speed limit by threatening States with losing their federal transportation funding unless they complied.
Next step, MADD found it easier to lobby one legislative body (US Congress) than 50 state legislatures so Congress imposed a nationwide 21 years drinking age. by threatening States with losing their federal transportation funding unless they complied.
Next step, MADD found it easier to lobby one legislative body (US Congress) than 50 state legislatures so Congress imposed a nationwide 0.08 BAC DUI standard by threatening States with losing their federal transportation funding unless they complied.
There are some who have been advocating using this same thuggery to require all states to ban the use of cell phones (some proposals call for hands-free only, others do not) while driving.
If private individuals were to engage in such tactics they
would be charged with EXTORTION.