21 Minimum Drinking Age Saves Lives
An estimated 4,441 lives were saved in the past five years alone by the minimum 21-year-old drinking age law,
according to new data on drunken driving from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The data,
presented at a symposium on the subject led by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), attests that minimum drinking
age laws are among the most effective measures ever used to reduce drunken driving deaths among America's young people,
says NHTSA.
“The science is clear,” said National Safety Council President and CEO Janet Froetscher, who also attended the
symposium. “Years of scientific studies have shown clearly the 21-law saves lives, and that lowering of the drinking
age, as some people advocate, will cost the lives of young adults.”
The National Safety Council recently reaffirmed its public policy to support a national 21-year-old minimum
legal drinking age, based on extensive research that demonstrates if the drinking age is lowered, injuries and
deaths will significantly increase, particularly among young adults.
The new report is available on the
NHTSA website.
