This document presents justification for a legal drinking age of 21 in all states. The introduction reviews the history of the raising and lowering of the drinking age and the rise in highway accidents and deaths resulting from lowered drinking ages. The federal response of mandating a 21-year-old drinking age for states with the threat of loss of some highway funds for non-compliance is reviewed. Among the facts supporting a 21-year-old drinking age are: (1) when the drinking age was lowered to 18, accidents and deaths involving young drivers climbed immediately; (2) alcohol-related automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for 16- to 24-year-olds; (3) states which raised the drinking age to 21 significantly reduced nighttime fatal crashes of the young; and (4) the fatal alcohol-related crash rate for 18- to 20-year-old drivers is three times the rate for older drivers. Eighteen arguments against the 21-year-old drinking age are presented with rebuttals. A reference list is included. (ABL)