University presidents and chancellors across the country have signed a statement called the Amethyst Initiative, which calls for a discussion about the effects of the U.S. drinking age on the youth.
The U.S. has one of the world's highest legal drinking ages at 21. It is higher than that of Portugal, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Denmark where the legal drinking age varies from none to 18.
Currently, 128 presidents and chancellors have signed the statement since it began in June on the behalf of their institutions to open a debate about the current policies.
Underage drinking is still widespread in the U.S. It accounts for 11 percent of all alcohol consumption, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). More than 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by underage teens is through binge drinking.
"Our statement does not explicitly call for a younger drinking age. Rather, we ask for a public examination of whether the current law is leading to the outcomes we desire for our society," according to President S. Georgia Nugent of Kenyon College in Ohio, who has signed the Initiative. "Such an examination would need to consider both the law's intended consequences and its unintended consequences."
The initial intention for the law, enacted in 1984, was to decrease the number of alcohol-related vehicular deaths amongst 18 to 21 year olds. The endeavor was successful in part because of mandatory safety belt laws and better automotive construction, according to Nugent's statement.
One of the unintended effects of the 21 drinking law that supporters of the Initiative want to bring to the attention of lawmakers is the culture of "front loading" or "pre-gaming." College students are escaping the confines of the law by consuming large quantities of alcohol in short time before an event or outing.
"This is a dangerous, indeed potentially deadly, form of substance abuse," Nugent said. "With many others, I believe there is a direct correlation between this phenomenon and the raising of the drinking age across America in the late 1980s. This was certainly not an intended consequence of the law, but it is a state of affairs that we live with today."
The introduction of the high drinking age also eliminated the possibility of responsible alcohol consumption through education by parents or college educators.
"We're missing an important educational opportunity. For students who are under the legal drinking age (i.e., the majority of students in college), we've created two extreme choices: total abstinence or illegal drinking," Nugent stated.
President Thomas Schwarz of Purchase College, State University of New York, signed the Initiative believing that the 21 drinking age does not work.
"I have followed this debate for some years. I do not believe the 21 age requirement works (or) is inconsistent with all the other requirements for young people i.e. voting, military (and the) right to decide not to go to college," Schwarz said.
According to Schwarz, he did not sign the Initiative on the behalf of SUNY Purchase.
"I want a debate about this issue. I have signed this as a president, it is my position and I did not ask permission from students or anyone else. I believe this is my discretion to support this initiative and doesn't bind my institution to anything."
UB's President John B. Simpson has not yet made a decision to sign the Initiative, but has been in talks with Vice President of Student Affairs Dennis Black. According to Senior Director of Media Relations John DellaContrada, Simpson plans to correspond with other university presidents for their views.
Black has worked with John McCardell, president Emeritus of Middlebury College and founder of Choose Responsibility, a nonprofit organization that provides information about alcohol to empower young Americans. The Initiative was launched after reaching out to McCardell, according to amethystinitiative.com.
"The question now will become what makes for the best public policy and that should be a healthy debate," Black said. "Research and education are what we do best, so I am looking forward to seeing both applied to this as a safety discussion in the coming year, on and off-campus."
According to Black, university officials will look into whether the law has worked, the effects of a lesser drinking age in neighboring Canada and the conditions of underage drinking.
"The debate will be healthy, as the goal will be the safety and well-being of people 18 to 21 years old, and beyond," Black said.
President Rebecca S. Chopp of Colgate University signed the statement with her students' best interests in mind. On the behalf of her university, she is not endorsing a change in the drinking age but rather encouraging an open and inclusive discussion about the current situation.
"Signing the Amethyst Initiative letter is about joining other colleges in a call for a national discussion on the issue of alcohol use and abuse on our campuses," Chopp said in a statement to the media. "The health and safety of our students is our highest priority and we owe it to them and their families to encourage open and ongoing dialogue around this important issue."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
