<p>At the same time, the enforcement you speak of has been far from uniform in application. Drinking deaths have been reduced, but it’s the result of everything combined (reudcing supply of alcohol, reduced cultural acceptance of drunk driving, offering to drive people home with no questions asked) rather than only the drinking age (though that is a large component). The drinking age serves to reduce the supply of alcohol available. Nonetheless, on any given weekend, teens can find a place to drink if they so desire.</p>
<p>The clampdowns have very little deterrence effect. At my school, plenty of people involved in ECs drank or did pot (one year both captains of the lacrosse team were kicked off for having pot in their cars by school. Most of the people weren’t caught, though). The parties you hear about being raided are usually ones that any sane person would expect to be busted. For every freshman inviting 50 kids to his house while his parents are out of town and then getting raided, there are 10 or 20 “parties” with 10 or 15 kids quietly drinking in a basement.</p>
<p>I’m not saying it should be tolerated in the open, but I think at least allowing no-questions-asked rides home is greatly preferable to the alternative. Binge drinking I don’t claim to know how to deal with–too much variation with kids/parents/etc.</p>