A nationwide debate has sparked over whether to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. But who's stirring the pot may surprise you. College presidents are calling for the change because they say the current laws encourage binge drinking. Presidents from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University were not in favor of changing the age to 18. In fact, they both have strict policies for alcohol on campus, and other universities in the state agree. College presidents from about 100 universities across the country, including Duke, Johns Hopkins and Ohio State University, want law makers to let 18 year-olds consume alcohol legally to cut down on campus-wide binge drinking.
Dennis O'Shea of Johns Hopkins University said, "The conclusion of these presidents is that it's important to find a way to take the underground drinking that is forced by the 21 year-old drinking age and find a way to bring that back above ground, and find a way to drink responsibly."
The Amethyst Initiative has a way that presidents wanted to start the conversation. President Tom McDaniel of Oklahoma City University says he's in favor of having this controversial discussion. He adds that these presidents are some of the smartest in the country, but doesn't feel it's their job to advocate a lower drinking age.
"My life's experience says that presidents are really great at managing budgets and raising money, but in terms of what's best for children I usually find that mothers have the best idea about that," OCU President Tom McDaniel described. "The thing that causes some of the biggest problems is peer pressure, and so if other students at a younger age are permitted to do that i think that peer pressure really weighs heavily on young men and women."
Neither Oklahoma or Oklahoma State were asked to sign the initiative. Virgil Green, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, stands by their policies saying it would increase the alcohol abuse problem on college campuses.
"There's not a doubt that these kids are exposed to in high school and college. The goal is prevention and education, here in Oklahoma we see our universities are taking a strong approach," Virgil Green, the Executive Director of MADD Oklahoma explained.
President McDaniel adds that parents who're taking their kids to college for the first time already worry enough about how responsible their child is going to be. Including a lower drinking age might make the transition even harder.
One study estimates that 500,000 students at four-year colleges suffer injuries each year related to drinking. And more than 40% of college students reported at least one symptom of alcohol abuse or dependence.
Click here to find out more on the Amethyst Initiative.
