On July 17, 1984 President Reagan took action by signing the Uniform Drinking Age Act (UDAA. This was a policy mandating all states to adopt 21 as the legal minimum drinking age within five years in order to receive federal highway funding (MADD 2011). Although the UDAA did set restrictions on the minimum legal age limit to publicly possess and purchase alcohol, minors were still able to possess alcohol with the following exceptions: 1) An established religious purpose, when accompanied by a parents, spouse or legal guardian age 21 or older, 2) Medical purposes when prescribed or administered by a licensed physician, pharmacist, nurse, dentist, or medical institution, 3) In private clubs or establishments, and the last, In the courses of lawful employment by a duly licensed manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer. .
Many states prohibit the consumption of alcohol before age 21, but there are over fifteen that allow exceptions (Hanson 1997-2011).It is known that the minimum legal drinking age limit varies in different countries. For example in Serbian, until 2009, there was no drinking age, you could go to any bar, stores and purchase alcohol, government believed if a child is use to seeing it, and its able to buy is, that it will lower the usage in teen years. Now, they have changed the law for serving alcohol in the restaurants and sports bars; you have to be age 18 to purchase it. They have changed the law, do to European standards. According to an article, Alcohol in Moderation (AIM), there are over 80 countries with different age drinking rules and regulations. A few that have no minimum drinking age limit are Albania, Ghana, Jamaica and Togo. Additionally, AIM provides information stating that it is illegal to drink and purchase alcohol in Libya because of the Muslim culture. .
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Research continually provides evidence of the differences among underage drinking rules and regulations globally.
