Spring Break
Universities fight to change drinking laws
Michelle Firestone
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: News
Presidents from 129 universities, including six in Connecticut (but not including UConn), are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying that current laws encourage binge drinking on college campuses.
Presidents from Trinity College, the University of Hartford, St. Joseph's College, Mitchell College, Fairfield University and the University of New Haven are among 129 supporters of the Amethyst Initiative, a movement designed to stir up debate about the "National Minimum Drinking Age Act" passed in 1984. According to the initiative's official website, this law penalized any state with a drinking age lower than 21 by reducing that state's federal highway appropriation by 10 percent.
The Amethyst Initiative statement suggests a debate about whether or not the 1984 law was counterproductive, but doesn't explicitly call for a lower drinking age.
James Jones, Jr., president of Trinity College and one of the signatories of the initiative, said supporters are not in favor of promoting drinking at college, but feel there may be a better solution.
"If people believe a law will keep kids from drinking, they are living in an alternate universe," said Jones.
Binge drinking, which has been a problem on college campuses for many years, has been a ubiquitous, but secretive activity for college students, most of whom are too young to buy the alcohol themselves and thus get older students to buy it for them or acquire fake ID's. Amethyst supporters feel that drinking would no longer be surreptitious if the legal drinking age were 18 rather than 21.
"To bring it out of this clandestine world would be a big help," said Jones.
Jones feels that because 18 year-olds have the prerogative to vote and enlist in the military, they should also have the right to legally drink. According to him, there is an illogical disconnect.
"There's something fundamentally askew if you can vote but aren't considered adult enough to buy a beer," said Jones.
Presidents from Trinity College, the University of Hartford, St. Joseph's College, Mitchell College, Fairfield University and the University of New Haven are among 129 supporters of the Amethyst Initiative, a movement designed to stir up debate about the "National Minimum Drinking Age Act" passed in 1984. According to the initiative's official website, this law penalized any state with a drinking age lower than 21 by reducing that state's federal highway appropriation by 10 percent.
The Amethyst Initiative statement suggests a debate about whether or not the 1984 law was counterproductive, but doesn't explicitly call for a lower drinking age.
James Jones, Jr., president of Trinity College and one of the signatories of the initiative, said supporters are not in favor of promoting drinking at college, but feel there may be a better solution.
"If people believe a law will keep kids from drinking, they are living in an alternate universe," said Jones.
Binge drinking, which has been a problem on college campuses for many years, has been a ubiquitous, but secretive activity for college students, most of whom are too young to buy the alcohol themselves and thus get older students to buy it for them or acquire fake ID's. Amethyst supporters feel that drinking would no longer be surreptitious if the legal drinking age were 18 rather than 21.
"To bring it out of this clandestine world would be a big help," said Jones.
Jones feels that because 18 year-olds have the prerogative to vote and enlist in the military, they should also have the right to legally drink. According to him, there is an illogical disconnect.
"There's something fundamentally askew if you can vote but aren't considered adult enough to buy a beer," said Jones.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
samuel
posted 9/02/08 @ 7:40 AM EST
The only, and I mean only problem with lowering the drinking age is there would probably be a quick spurt in deaths from drunk driving accidents by young people who are now allowed to drink but aren't ready for it because the current laws baby them and don't encourage responsible drinking. (Continued…)
Don't Drink
posted 9/02/08 @ 11:13 AM EST
Do we love drinking so much that you don't care about the thousands of lives lost or destroyed every year because of drinking related crimes? When will we realize that this ancient culture of drinking for fun should be modernized? There is nothing "responsible" about drinking, if we truly want to be responsible let's take responsibility for all the lives destroyed by drinking. (Continued…)
doug
posted 9/02/08 @ 11:51 AM EST
MADD often cites a statistic that showed an increase in drunk driving deaths when the drinking age was first lowered to 18 in the 70's. Drunk driving-related deaths are currently at their lowest levels in years. (Continued…)
UConn Alum in Canada
posted 9/03/08 @ 9:19 AM EST
How about looking north to Canada where the drinking age is 19, and even 18 in Quebec? There is not a horrorscape of killed 19 year olds on the highways. (Continued…)
Brandon
posted 9/25/08 @ 11:24 PM EST
Im 19, and I have to manage work, college, bills/taxes, and the rest of my life. I like to have a beer after work or during a sporting event. I don't know why that is such a bad thing, I mean isn't that what everyone who opposes lowering the drinking age did when they were younger? This issue isn't truly about saving lives it is about the natural appeal of thinking you are "better" than people who are younger than you. (Continued…)
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