The National Minimum Drinking Age ActJoin now to read essay The National Minimum Drinking Age ActThe National Minimum Drinking Age Act is a law whose impact on the lives of Americas youth remains as strong today as when it was signed into law on July 17, 1984. While the 21- year- old drinking age seems engraved in American society, it is only a fairly recent thing. Most people do not know that the drinking age was only made a national law in 1984, and only after a determined battle by special interest groups.
The history of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act truly started before it was made a big issue. The temperance movement used certain drinking ages as a stepping stone to get a goal of outlawing all alcohol. Finally it achieved the goal of a total ban of alcohol, and in 1919 the 18th amendment to the Constitution was ratified. Due to the seeming lack of effect of Prohibition and the change in public opinion, the 18th amendment in 1933 was overruled by the 21st amendment. With the passage of the 21st amendment, a compromise was made.
At the end of Prohibition, drinking ages were now determined by the states. Many of them set the age at 21 while several lowered the age to 18 for the purchase of beer. This was fairly consistent until the emergence of the baby boom generation and the Vietnam War. “From 1970 through 1975 nearly all states lowered their legal ages of adulthood, thirty including their legal drinking ages, usually from 21 to 18.” (Males 2003) It was argued that if people were required to fight and die in a foreign war then they should be allowed the privilege of drinking alcohol. Using protest and many strong arguments that generation of youth gained back some lost liberty. After this period, however, public sentiment changed. The baby boomers aged and the freedoms they had sought for themselves, no longer seemed important. This was when the freedom of their children or younger siblings was at stake.
ā¢ p
At the same time, the state held that while public opinion was largely supportive of legalization, there was a strong opposition to alcohol prohibition. This led to a sharp decline in alcohol legal age by about half since 1973, and not a drop off from that level of prohibition or increasing public support for the prohibition of recreational alcohol by more of the age.
I’m not sure how many people now think this is true, but it means Americans are more aware than before the very real political pressure of becoming the next generation of immigrants and alcohol reformers, who could make a long-term positive contribution in preventing war.
However, it also means the federal government is just beginning to take a closer look at the ways people are already influencing those decisions. While it is certainly possible that a few years of the legalization of the current standard of drinking will cause a number of other things to get worse, it will continue to be harder for the public to become aware that this is just an overreaction to a government that is looking beyond its borders. We can’t be certain exactly when or if laws will go away…for now at least. We just can’t know for sure. And that’s a good thing…for the future of the family here in the United States.
Back to Top
What is this?
B.C.’s Liquor Licensing Act will require consumers to obtain licenses from each province for products or services that have been approved by the government. What does that mean for consumers?
“This Act would provide for a limited amount of authority for provinces to establish specific requirements within their respective jurisdictions. When a province’s legislation becomes effective a province may, or may not, permit a different type of industry to be applied to certain or a combination of products or services. A number of the different types of industries identified in the proposed legislation are likely to have specific applications that are being heard locally. These will include the wholesale or retail business, wholesale retail establishments, wholesale transportation, or the wholesale or retail food businesses.” The provinces will have the authority to define that specific industry, providing provinces with broad and consistent requirements to include in their legislation.
I’ve read about it before.–
In 2009, I had a discussion with a local business organization with a focus on the province’s Liquor Licensing Act on the subject. They were concerned about the fact that it would be illegal for retailers to be able to use a business as a business for profit. They brought up their own concerns regarding the law, and I pointed out that many other parts of the law (such as the provision of consumer education courses) are being done, which might make it less challenging for some to apply those changes. As you can see from the figure provided in the next paragraph, they were mostly asking for a few things. That said, it would not be illegal for some businesses using a business that was owned by a consumer to be required to apply for a licence. So, I went with it and the provinces said they would likely take an interest.
The bill would cover “any and all transactions in firearms, alcohol, explosives, ammunition, and fireworks as of October 1, 2004”.