Age Restriction

Minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws of 21 in the U.S. refer to a minimum age required to purchase alcohol in a state and measures aimed at preventing people under the minimum age from accessing alcohol. MLDA laws have significantly reduced drinking and drinking-related problems among adolescents and young adults, including education drop-out rates, car crashes, crime, injuries, assaults and suicides. There is also evidence that the relaxation of age restrictions contributes to heavier use later in life.  

Minimum Legal Drinking Age Laws
Underage and College Alcohol Policies

Selected State Policies and Associations with Alcohol Use Behaviors and Risky Driving Behaviors Among Youth: Findings from Monitoring the Future Study

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Underage Drinking: A Review of Trends and Prevention Strategies

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The Utility of Including the Strengths of Underage Drinking Laws in Determining Their Effect on Outcomes

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A Comprehensive Examination of United States Laws Enacted to Reduce Alcohol-Related Crashes Among Underage Drivers

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  1. Enhanced Enforcement of Laws Prohibiting Sale of Alcohol to Minors: Systematic Review of Effectiveness for Reducing Sales and Underage Drinking
    Elder RW, Lawrence B, Janes G, Brewer RD, Toomey TL, Hingson RW, . Paper presented at the Traffic Safety and Alcohol Regulation, Irvine, CA. .
    Date: 2007 (archived)
  2. Mystery Shopping and Alcohol Sales: Do Supermarkets and Liquor Stores Sell Alcohol to Underage Customers?
    Gosselt JF, van Hoof JJ, de Jong MD, Prinsen S. The Journal of Adolescent Health. 41(3), 302-308.
    Date: 2007 (archived)
  3. Alcohol Outlet Characteristics and Alcohol Sales to Youth: Results of Alcohol Purchase Surveys in 45 Oregon Communities
    Paschall MJ, Grube JW, Black C, Flewelling RL, Ringwalt CL, Biglan A. Prevention Science. 8(2), 153-159.
    Date: 2007 (archived)
  4. How Do College Students View Alcohol Prevention Policies?
    Saltz RF. Journal of Substance Use. 12(6), 447-460.
    Date: 2007 (archived)
  5. Propensity for and Correlates of Alcohol Sales to Underage Youth
    Britt H, Toomey TL, Dunsmuir W, Wagenaar AC. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education. 50(2), 25-42.
    Date: 2006 (archived)
  6. Societal Costs of Underage Drinking
    Miller TR, Levy DT, Spicer RS, Taylor DM. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 67(4), 519-528.
    Date: 2006 (archived)
  7. Youth Alcohol Use and Risky Sexual Behavior: Evidence from Underage Drunk Driving Laws
    Carpenter C. Journal of Health Economics. 24(3), 613-628.
    Date: 2005 (archived)
  8. Community Level Alcohol Availability and Enforcement of Possession Laws as Predictors of Youth Drinking
    Dent CW, Grube JW, Biglan A. Preventive Medicine: An International Journal Devoted to Practice and Theory. 40(3), 355-362.
    Date: 2005 (archived)
  9. Alcohol Policy and Youth Drinking: Overview of Effective Interventions for Young People
    Grube JW, Nygaard P. Preventing Harmful Substance Use: The Evidence Base for Policy and Practice (pp. 113-127). West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. .
    Date: 2005 (archived)
  10. Impacts of California’s Graduated Licensing Law of 1998: An Assessment by the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Berkeley of the Effects of the Law on Fatal and Injury Crashes
    Cooper D, Gillen D, Atkins F. University of California Berkeley (No. UCB-ITS-RR-2004-1). Berkeley, CA.. .
    Date: 2004 (archived)
  11. Enhanced Enforcement of Laws to Prevent Alcohol Sales to Underage Persons: New Hampshire, 1999-2004
    Enhanced enforcement of laws to prevent alcohol sales to underage persons--New Hampshire 1999-2004. MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report No. 21. .
    Date: 2004 (archived)
  12. Michigan’s Graduated Driver Licensing Program: Evaluation of the First Four Years
    Shope JT, Molnar LJ. Journal of Safety Research. 35(3), 337-344.
    Date: 2004 (archived)
  13. Estimating the Impact of Alcohol Policies on Youth Suicides
    Markowitz S, Chatterji P, Kaestner R. Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics. 6(1), 37-46.
    Date: 2003 (archived)
  14. Alcohol Availability as a Predictor of Youth Drinking and Driving: A Hierarchical Analysis of Survey and Archival Data
    Treno AJ, Grube JW, Martin SE. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 27(5), 835-840.
    Date: 2003 (archived)
  15. Taking Up Binge Drinking in College: The Influences of Person, Social Group, and Environment
    Weitzman ER, Nelson TF, Wechsler H. Journal of Adolescent Health. 32(1), 26-35.
    Date: 2003 (archived)
  16. Changing the Minimum Legal Drinking Age- -Its Effect on a Central City Emergency Department
    Everitt R, Jones P. The New Zealand Medical Journal. 115(1146), 9-11.
    Date: 2002 (archived)
  17. South of the Border: A Legal Haven for Underage Drinking
    Lange JE, Voas RB, Johnson MB. Addiction. 97(9), 1195-1203.
    Date: 2002 (archived)
  18. Limiting Underage Alcohol Purchases: An Application of the Consumer Decision Model
    McCall M, Trombetta J, Nattrass K. Journal of Business and Psychology. 17(1), 19-29.
    Date: 2002 (archived)
  19. Secondhand Effects of Student Alcohol Use Reported by Neighbors of Colleges: The Role of Alcohol Outlets
    Wechsler H, Lee JE, Hall J, Wagenaar AC, Lee H. Social Science & Medicine. 55(3), 425-435.
    Date: 2002 (archived)
  20. Impact of Graduated Driver Licensing Restrictions on Crashes Involving Young Drivers in New Zealand
    Begg DJ, Stephenson S, Alsop J, Langley JD. Injury Prevention. 7(4), 292-296.
    Date: 2001 (archived)
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