Legal Definitions - blood border

The term blood border is a colloquial expression referring to the dividing line between two adjacent states or jurisdictions that have different minimum legal drinking ages. It highlights the dangerous phenomenon where young individuals, who are below the legal drinking age in their home state, travel across this border to the neighboring state where they are legally permitted to purchase and consume alcohol. This often leads to an increased risk of impaired driving incidents, including accidents, injuries, and fatalities, as these individuals drive back home under the influence.

• Example 1: During a period when State A had a minimum drinking age of 21 and its neighbor, State B, had a minimum drinking age of 18, groups of 19- and 20-year-olds from State A would frequently drive across the border into State B on Friday and Saturday nights. They would spend the evening at bars and clubs in State B, then attempt to drive back home to State A while under the influence of alcohol.

  Explanation: This scenario exemplifies a "blood border" because the differing legal drinking ages between State A and State B created a strong incentive for young adults to cross the border specifically to consume alcohol, significantly increasing the risk of impaired driving accidents on their return journey.

• Example 2: A small town, "Riverbend," is located precisely on the border between two states. For years, the state on one side of Riverbend maintained a drinking age of 20, while the state on the other side had a drinking age of 18. Local emergency services in Riverbend observed a noticeable spike in single-vehicle accidents and roadside fatalities involving drivers aged 18-20, particularly on roads leading away from the lower-drinking-age state, especially late at night.

  Explanation: This illustrates the "blood border" by showing the direct, measurable impact on public safety in a border community. The increased accident rates among young drivers are a tragic consequence of the legal age disparity encouraging cross-border alcohol consumption and subsequent impaired driving.

• Example 3: In the late 1970s, before a national standard was widely adopted, a state university was situated just ten miles from a state border. Students aged 18-20, unable to legally drink in their university's state, regularly organized carpools to drive to bars and liquor stores in the neighboring state, where they were of legal drinking age. University officials and local police often collaborated on awareness campaigns, warning students about the dangers of driving back from the "blood border" after consuming alcohol.

  Explanation: This example demonstrates the "blood border" in an educational and community context. The proximity of the university to the border with a lower drinking age created a predictable pattern of risky behavior, prompting institutions and law enforcement to address the specific dangers posed by students driving under the influence across that particular state line.