Lowering the drinking age to 18 could effect students' drinking habits
Allan Lewis
Issue date: 8/26/08 Section: News
The current drinking age could be on the way out if a group of college administrators across the country have their way.
Spearheaded by Vermont-based Choose Responsibility, a group focused on promoting safe alcohol use, the Amethyst Initiative is a statement signed by over 100 college and university officials focused on lowering the United States drinking age to 18.
As of Friday, Illinois signatories included Chicago State University, Lake Forest College, Quincy University and Roosevelt University.
Grace Kronenberg, assistant to the director of Choose Responsibility, said the initiative looks at the broader issues and the effects of the 21 drinking age as well as the "unintended consequences of the law."
"Based on the experience and knowledge these administrators have on their own campus, they believe 21 is not working," Kronenberg said. "We need to take a new look at the law."
Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard, SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift and Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Samuel Goldman issued a statement Aug. 18 saying the SIU system will not appear in the document.
"We feel that our students are better served when they are armed with information on the damaging effects of underage binge drinking," Poshard said in the statement. "Our direction at SIU will continue to be to educate and inform our students and to have our campus police departments strictly enforce the current law."
Over the past week, the efforts of Choose Responsibility have been met with strong criticism and resistance from Mother's Against Drunk Driving, a national group advocating education against driving impaired.
"Obviously, we do not support lowering the drinking age," Trisha Clegg, affiliate executive for the Illinois branch of MADD said. "Lowering the drinking age will increase the chances of binge drinking, sexual assault, violence and injuries occurring."
Clegg said the current drinking age saves 900 lives each year, totaling about 25,000 since the Minimum Legal Drinking age went into effect in 1984, according to the National Highway and Traffic Association.
Spearheaded by Vermont-based Choose Responsibility, a group focused on promoting safe alcohol use, the Amethyst Initiative is a statement signed by over 100 college and university officials focused on lowering the United States drinking age to 18.
As of Friday, Illinois signatories included Chicago State University, Lake Forest College, Quincy University and Roosevelt University.
Grace Kronenberg, assistant to the director of Choose Responsibility, said the initiative looks at the broader issues and the effects of the 21 drinking age as well as the "unintended consequences of the law."
"Based on the experience and knowledge these administrators have on their own campus, they believe 21 is not working," Kronenberg said. "We need to take a new look at the law."
Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard, SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift and Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Samuel Goldman issued a statement Aug. 18 saying the SIU system will not appear in the document.
"We feel that our students are better served when they are armed with information on the damaging effects of underage binge drinking," Poshard said in the statement. "Our direction at SIU will continue to be to educate and inform our students and to have our campus police departments strictly enforce the current law."
Over the past week, the efforts of Choose Responsibility have been met with strong criticism and resistance from Mother's Against Drunk Driving, a national group advocating education against driving impaired.
"Obviously, we do not support lowering the drinking age," Trisha Clegg, affiliate executive for the Illinois branch of MADD said. "Lowering the drinking age will increase the chances of binge drinking, sexual assault, violence and injuries occurring."
Clegg said the current drinking age saves 900 lives each year, totaling about 25,000 since the Minimum Legal Drinking age went into effect in 1984, according to the National Highway and Traffic Association.
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