The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 says that if a state doesn’t pass a law making it illegal for people under 21 to buy or publicly possess alcohol, then that state will lose 10 percent of the federal funding for state highway money. The idea was to curb drunk driving accidents, which were happening at a higher rate for people between 18 and 20 than any other age group at the time. And while the federal government can’t constitutionally mandate a federal minimum drinking age, thanks to the the 21st Amendment, it can “motivate” states to fall in line by threatening to take away money.
Generally speaking, the settlers "<span>d. didn't need to follow Mexican laws due to a special agreement," although the exact terms of this agreement were never fully agreed upon, making matters even more difficult. </span>
