Several states, including Florida, Wisconsin, Vermont and Missouri, have studied the idea of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, as some experts are suggesting, MSNBC reported Aug. 14.

The National Youth Rights Association has launched a petition drive to lower the drinking age, and some Missouri advocates are organizing a ballot initiative. John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, has become the most visible advocate for the change.

“The law was changed in 1984, and the law had a very specific purpose, and that was to prohibit drinking among those under the age of 21,” McCardell said. “The only way to measure the success of that law is to ask ourselves whether, 23 years later, those under 21 are not drinking.” “The evidence is very clear,” McCardell said. “It has had no effect.”

Backers believe the rise of binge drinking among adolescents and college students can be directly traced to raising the drinking age to 21. “Just like during national Prohibition, the law has pushed and forced underage drinking and youthful drinking underground, where we have no control over it," said David J. Hanson, an alcohol policy expert at the State University of New York-Potsdam. 

Opposition to the proposal remains strong, however. “Why would we repeal or weaken laws that save lives? It doesn’t make sense," said Mark Rosenker, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. The age-21 laws adopted by all 50 states -- under threat by Congress of losing their federal highway funds -- have been credited with lowering the rate of drunk-driving fatalities. But critics also question the studies used to link the age-21 law and lower alcohol-related traffic fatalities.

McCardell's group, Choose Responsibility, would like to see the drinking age lowered to 18 but also wants  "drinking licenses" issued to those ages 18 to 21. McCardell also wants youths to receive more education on responsible alcohol consumption.

However, 77 percent of Americans recently surveyed by Gallup said they opposed lowering the drinking age.