The night of my high school graduation in 1973 (In Minnesota) the drinking age changed to 18, though not until midnight. We had one hour in the bar that first night. I was still 17 but my older brother let me use his ID.  I was then in the military before I turned 18. The only thing significant about all this is that it was some fine memories.

Legal drinking age here has always been 18 and was I surprised when I visited the states in the 90`s that you could die for your country but not buy a drink before you go??? 
I had my first beer in a pub when I was 16 because the barman reckoned if you had the balls to order one you deserved it.................
cheers(hic)

In Finland there's regularly discussion about dropping the driving lisence age from 18 to 16.
We have a lot of sparsely inhabited country side, where moving around can be very difficult for younger people.
Then they use the "cancer of motor traffic", the so called moped cars that have a speed limitation of 40 km/h.
You can guess how folks love those road plugs.
 
We don't have much police cars on the roads, so in the country side you can drive very carelessly without getting caught. That's what people are afraid of - that the 16 yrs old have even less self control than the 18 year old. We've gotten our traffic casualty numbers down to a very acceptable level, and many would not want to risk that development. Also, cars, traffic insurances and gasoline are very expensive here, which means the youngsters have the poorest and most unsafe cars.
 
At 18 you're an adult here. You can drink, vote, be elected, be sentenced...

Interesting your comment about the lack of police in the countryside.
I live in the country in the first state in the world where every police car is capable of random alcohol and drug testing as well as mobile radar detection.
There are also regular roadblocks with Drug busses,complete with chase cars and choppers-too much TV I reckon
obviously,you need to think carefully about driving if you have consumed any illicit substances in the previous 24hrs-if you choose to smoke pot late at night you can be tested on the way to work next morning and immediately lose your licence and fined heavily.
obviously ,drug affected drivers should not be driving but I can legally skoll a bottle of beer-3 standard drinks,be obviously affected but still legal to drive.
go figure... 
 

webbs hill studio
Interesting your comment about the lack of police in the countryside.
I live in the country in the first state in the world where every police car is capable of random alcohol and drug testing as well as mobile radar detection.
 

It's not only the countryside. I live 25 km from the centre of the capital, Helsinki, and my job is located in an 
industrial suburb, about 10 km from the centre. I can drive to work and back for two-three weeks without
once seeing a police car. There are cameras here and there and such, but it's the economy that's made them cut police resources year after year.
The last time I was in a road block (which usually includes mainly alcohol/drug testing every driver) was
three-four years ago.
 
In northern Finland it's normal having to wait for police for an hour or even more. The closest car may be over 100 km away.
Then taking a person to the jail may require 2-3 hours, which time the car is  off alarm duties.

Here in the USA, different rules/laws apply for different things, and there are some things for which there are Federal ages laws and some are based at the state level.
 
Voting is 18 years, and that is a national thing, while the age of consent varies.  I remember someone being considered a sexual adult being 18 in Illinois, but it is 16 here in Maryland, where I live now, and might be 15 for a couple of states.  
 
You can drive at different ages in different states, or have different levels of when you can drive (midnight to 6 am is a no no for the first year of a teen's license for Maryland, but we could drive anytime in IL at 16).
 
Drinking ages are different,  as are the ages one can be tried as an adult in criminal cases.
 
It is quite a mis-mosh between it all, but that's how it works here.
 
The most unfortunate thing about all of the above is that in recent years, researchers figured out that the part of the human brain that deals with things like 'evaluation of consequences of behavior/action' is not even present in the brain until the early 20's.  (it may never develop for some drummers - hee hee)
 
Bob Bone
 

robert_e_bone
...the part of the human brain that deals with things like 'evaluation of consequences of behavior/action' is not even present in the brain until the early 20's.
Bob Bone

Funny. I think I developed that around 6 or 7. Not bragging or anything..... just always getting in trouble.... usually not my fault though.
 
So what I'm hearing is there is no "official" age of adulthood. As opposed to:
1. Draft age (which only applies to men anyway)
2. Drinking age
3. Voting age

wait til yer brain's done growing before playing with it- the various legal ages just suit whatever the government/bigbusiness think suits them
 
i got carded in ny buying beer aged 32...