New Zealand Lowered from 20 to 18

New Zealand presents what is perhaps the most dramatic case study illustrating the urgency of enforcing higher minimum-age drinking laws. The country lowered its minimum drinking age to 18 from 20 in 1999, and recent research suggests that this may have had a direct impact on the rising traffic casualties among young people. A 2006 study published in The American Journal of Public Health found that the rate of traffic crashes and injuries increased 12 per cent for 18- to 19-year-old males and 51 per cent for females of the same age.

Japan 20

The legal drinking age in Japan is 20, but just how effectively this drinking law is implemented is questionable, especially considering that it's one of the few countries in the world with alcohol-vending machines. However, as a response to public concern, the number of machines has now dropped owing to voluntary regulation by the alcohol industry as well as retailers.