There is no doubt that many youth rights issues are not well represented to those who have the most resources and abilities to make change on a county, state, or federal level. The issues of drinking and smoking age are no different and I firmly believe that spreading out support over as many districts and…
Growing up in the United States, I never understood the hypocrisy of drinking laws, and by extension drinking culture, in a country known to the world as a beacon of personal freedom. How was it possible that an 18 year old could vote for the president, drive a car, enlist in the army, and own…
In the 1980s, states decided to raise their drinking age to 21. Surprisingly, it wasn’t because of safety, public pressure, or even their own emotions. The main reason states raised the drinking age was because they risked losing 10% of their federal highway funds to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (NMDAA). The Supreme Court…
While the shocking upset for president is at the forefront of media coverage right now, there were several youth rights issues on the ballot yesterday that should not be forgotten. NYRA is very pleased to announce victories on a ballot measure in Berkeley, California to lower the voting age and a non-binding ballot question to…
I am a long time NYRA member and thanks to my petitioning efforts, next month in Amherst Massachusetts voters will be able to vote on whether or not the drinking age should be lowered to 19 for beer & wine. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 was passed on July 17, 1984. It…
At NYRA, we get emails. Many write to thank us for our work. Some write to share new ideas or to provide thoughtful feedback. And some write to scathe us for supporting the rights of youth. I thought I’d share one we got recently. Bear in mind, none of the “facts” in this email have…
This is part of the Youth Rights 101 series. Please check out Youth Rights 101: Introduction for the rest of the series and more information. Alcohol is dangerous! Why lower the drinking age? Do you actually want kids drinking?! Lowering the drinking age is not about wanting anyone to be drinking nor ignoring any possible…
Every year around this time, we hear the same soundbites from Martin Luther King’s poetic but relatively innocuous “I Have a Dream” speech. In some schools, textbooks include King’s more thought-provoking essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” but they usually censor the thought-provoking parts. What those in power are most eager to hide from young audiences…
NYRA is beginning a local advertising campaign in Abilene, Texas to initiate reforms towards a lower drinking age and to raise awareness of youth rights. This campaign will direct Texas residents to the NYRA site where they can find answers to their frequently asked questions, get legal research on drinking age laws for all 50…
One of NYRA’s most intensive campaigns took place in March & April of 2005. Rep. Richard Marron introduced a bill in the Vermont legislature to lower the state’s drinking age to eighteen. The bill had widespread support and Vermont was an ideal state to push the issue. NYRA-Vermont mobilized in support of it and invited…
