On July 17, 1984, the National Law on the Minimum Age for Drinking Alcohol was passed. Contrary to what many believe, this act did not technically require states to raise the drinking age. Instead, he threatened to remove a portion of federal highway aid to any state that failed to raise the drinking age to twenty-one within two years. Of course, the law still achieved what the lobbyists intended, a legal drinking age of twenty-one, because although many legislators opposed the new law, states could not afford a cut in their federal aid. (Koroknay-Palicz). The age at which people can purchase and consume alcohol should be raised back to eighteen, because it would be better for the economy, to protect public health and safety, and eighteen year olds are considered adults. It's especially important during this recession. consider how returning the legal drinking age to eighteen could benefit the economy. Police and other officials waste a lot of time intercepting false identifications, searching for and breaking up underage drinking parties, etc., when they could be preventing serious crimes and real criminals. As a result, law enforcement would also save money. If law enforcement spent less trying in vain to prevent underage drinking, it would save the government money, and less government spending means less taxes and less national debt. Although most young people between eighteen and twenty already drink, many law-abiding young people would start buying alcohol, so sales would be higher. Higher demand means higher production. There would be more jobs and, eventually, entirely new businesses based on the production, distribution and sale of alcohol. More competition for these companies would be... mid-paper... acceptable, but it could save money, encourage responsibility, and ultimately ensure equal rights for all adults. Thankfully, after nearly three decades of injustice, there is a strong movement to set the drinking age. Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin are just a few of the states that currently have a lower drinking age. (Passionate). Our nation is on the verge of overcoming prejudices like sexism, racism, and elitism, so why have we continued to regress when it comes to ageism? Works Cited Dee, Thomas and William Evans. "Behavioral policies and road safety for adolescents". AEA Papers and Proceedings May 2001: 91-96. Print.Keen, Judy. “States Consider Lowering Drinking Age.” United States today. March 20, 2008. Web. March 4, 2012. Koroknay-Palicz, Alex. “Legislative Analysis of the National Minimum Drinking Age Law.” National Association for Youth Rights. nd Web. 8 March 2012.