Safety board urges states to raise legal drinking age

The National Transportation Safety Board says raising the drinking age to 21 in all states would cut the highway death toll from drunken driving.

Currently, 15 states have a legal minimum drinking age of 21 for all alcoholic beverages. The board Friday urged the other 35 states to raise their legal drinking ages. An NTSB spokesman said the board does not believe the two-tier system - one age for beer or wine and another for hard liquor - is any better than an overall lower drinking age.