The effect of legal drinking age on fatal injuries of adolescents and young adults

Abstract

This study examined the effect of legal drinking age (LDA) on fatal injuries in persons aged 15 to 24 years in the United States between 1979 and 1984. Effects on pre-LDA teens, adolescents targeted by LDA, initiation at LDA, and post-LDA drinking experience were assessed. A higher LDA was also associated with reduced death rates for motor vehicle drivers, pedestrians, unintentional injuries excluding motor vehicle injuries, and suicide. An initiation effect on homicides was identified. Reductions in injury deaths related to drinking experience were not found. In general, a higher LDA reduced deaths among adolescents and young adults for various categories of violent death.