Amethyst Initiative talks drinking age
A group of college presidents and chancellors have formed a movement challenging lawmakers to consider lowering the nationwide drinking age to 18.
The group called The Amethyst Initiative “supports informed and unimpeded debate on the 21-year-old drinking age,” according to their Web site.
As of Wednesday, the group founded in July by John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, has gained the support of presidents and chancellors at 130 schools.
Students at GCSU have mixed opinions regarding changing the drinking age.
Eli Lussiana, a senior business management major, does not favor the proposed change.
“Lowering the drinking age would just bring alcohol into the high schools,” Lussiana said.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) agrees with Lussiana, according to their Web site, and adds that lowering the drinking age would vastly increase the number of fatal automobile accidents.
“Maintaining the legal drinking age at 21 is a socially and medically sound policy that helps parents, schools and law enforcement protect our youth from the potentially life-threatening effects of underage drinking,” MADD’s Web site stated.
Others believe that an 18-year-old has the capacity to make intelligent decisions regarding alcohol use.
Trey Jackson, a senior criminal justice major, believes that a person old enough to be drafted should be able to drink.
“Besides,” Jackson said. “You’re an adult at 18. That’s the law. So you should be given all the rights of an adult, such as drinking a beer at the bar.”
Public Safety Officer Greg Williams can see both sides of the issue.
“Where we are, people are going to drink anyway,” Williams said.
GCSU’s Department of Public Safety works with students to educate them about the risks involved and the problems it can cause them in the future.
Williams wants students to know that alcohol can impair their judgement.
“We don’t want people to make stupid decisions,” he said. “I honestly believe that lowering the legal drinking age will lead to more property crimes and more person to person crimes.”
Lisa Storronning is an exchange student from Sweden.
“The drinking age in Sweden is 18,” Storronning said. “But people start drinking earlier. They usually have a friend that is older buy it for them.”
Like Williams, Storronning can see both sides of the issue.
“Maybe here in America if you start drinking at 21, then you are starting to mature and take responsibility later in life, but if you start at 18 and get your rebellious phase out, then you can understand how much you can handle,” Storronning said.
The Amethyst Initiative’s goal is not necessarily to change the current drinking age. Its main mission is to stir up debate and to acknowledge that the group does not believe the current drinking age is working.
A lot of students, according to Jackson, have pretty much given up their partying ways by the time they are 21 anyway.
“Personally,” Jackson said. “I probably drank more before and during the time I was 18 and I’m still alive and kicking.”
The Colonnade wants to know where you stand in the issue of drinking age. Are you for lowering it or keeping it the same? Voice your opinions by commenting on this article online at www.gcsunade.com or writing us a letter to the editor at colonnadeletters@gcsu.edu
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 19 2008. Filed under News.
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