Lowering the drinking age a modest proposal

By: Courtney Carignan

Posted: 9/5/08

These days it seems that 18 is the new 21, as over 100 presidents of universities across the nation have agreed. A campaign called the "Amethyst Initiative" has been in the works for the past year in order to open up a discussion for lowering the legal drinking age. The former president of Middlebury College, John McCardell, launched this initiative to reexamine our laws and it has gained support from such prestigious schools as Dartmouth College, Duke, and Tufts, among others.

Congress, however, does not share this desire to open this topic up for conversation. In 1984, Congress stated that any state that lowered its drinking age below 21 would be penalized 10 percent of its federal highway appropriation as a means to keep the drinking age at 21.

Many people, including underage students who drink, argue that underage drinking happens regardless of the legality. However, many others believe that lowering the drinking age will simply be giving in and enabling today's youth. Organizations such as M.A.D.D. are already frowning upon the institutions that, assuming the current laws will not be enforced, have shown their support for the Amethyst Initiative.

President Hogan did not sign the Amethyst Initiative. According to Lisa Troyer, Hogan's chief of staff, he examined the proposition very carefully and considered the issue of binge drinking among college students - not only at UConn but at campuses all across the country. The fault Hogan found with the initiative is that, despite its encouragement for open discussion, he found that it prematurely suggests a solution - lower the drinking age. Troyer expressed that there was a lack of scientific evidence indicating that this will result in a safer environment for students and a better overall outcome for universities.

While this is a valid argument, a lot has changed concerning the ways that students are being educated in the dangers of drunk driving and alcohol consumption. It is not always an issue of statistics and studies revolving the legal drinking age, but a question of at what point students have enough information to make informed decisions and are considered mature enough to have this privilege.

All UConn students had to complete AlcoholEdu and many learned through drivers' education classes about the responsibility we have as drivers to not drive after drinking. On campus, there is also the Alcohol and Other Drug Services division to help students make more informed decisions about drinking.

In addition to educating college students there are programs on campus, such as Guard Dogs, to protect the student body from alcohol-related accidents and which have proved to be very effective. They provide means of transportation for college students at UConn without anybody's having to decide who would grin and bear being a designated driver or who would just "drink less" but still be "ok" to drive.

Although students are living in the glamorous party life right now, if today's youth was granted the privilege of legally drinking at 18 there is the chance that they would respect this law to prove that they deserve their newfound right. As 18-year-olds, members of the student body are considered legal adults and are allowed by law to serve on juries, serve in the military and vote, meaning our government deems us responsible enough to fight for and decide who will lead our country. If we can make these decisions that affect our entire country, perhaps we are "adult" enough to make our own decisions regarding alcohol.

UConn has been trying to rid itself of the title of "party school" and perhaps its lack of support for this initiative is part of that stand.

However, college students come to UConn to socialize, as well as learn, and if it were legal for us to do so it would prevent students from going to such drastic measures to drink. The point of this initiative is to eliminate students going to all costs, even dangerous ones, just to get their party on.