<P> The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 ( 23 U.S.C. § 158 ) was passed by the United States Congress on July 17 , 1984 . It was a controversial bill that punished every state that allowed persons below 21 years to purchase and publicly possess alcoholic beverages by reducing its annual federal highway apportionment by 10 percent . The law was later amended , lowering the penalty to 8 percent from fiscal year 2012 and beyond . </P>
<P> The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 ( 23 U.S.C. § 158 ) was passed by the United States Congress on July 17 , 1984 . It was a controversial bill that punished every state that allowed persons below 21 years to purchase and publicly possess alcoholic beverages by reducing its annual federal highway apportionment by 10 percent . The law was later amended , lowering the penalty to 8 percent from fiscal year 2012 and beyond . </P>
when was the national minimum drinking age act passed
when was the national minimum drinking age act passed
July 17 , 1984
July 17 , 1984