Why is the legal age for drinking 21 and the legal age for enlisting in the military 18?

Answer 1

Originally, many years ago, the legal drinking age was 21 and adulthood started at 18, just like now. During the Vietnam conflict, the question was raised regarding one's duty (i.e. draft) to fight and/or die for one's country, but the soldier couldn't have a beer. The drinking age was lowerd to 18 in response. After the conflict ended, the law stayed at 18 for a while, but statistics showed that teenagers were dieing in greater number due to drinking issues (binge drinking, DUI etc), so the states gradually raised the age. First they raised it to 19, then to 21 for hard liquer. They grandfathered in anyone who had already reached the age of 19 when they raised it to 21. Evenually, the age was 21 nationwide, allowing for more maturity before alcohol was legally available. Short answer: the change in the law reduced the number of alcohol related fatalites in teens and younger adults.