The case is closed in the debate over whether the government should lower the legal drinking age, as research consistently reports the law helps save lives, rather than encourage underage drinking, according to a new study.
William DeJong, a professor at Boston University's School of Public Health, conducted a literature review of research published since 2006, when the advocacy group Choose Responsibility made the controversial claim that the drinking age of 21 was counterproductive and pushed to lower it.
But DeJong says there is no such evidence to support that claim, and nearly all research conducted on drinking-age laws proves the opposite. According to his study, research has shown the higher drinking age saves an estimated 900 lives annually, due to fewer alcohol-related traffic fatalities among underage drivers.