MOST COLLEGE KIDS ARE OLD ENOUGH TO FIGHT, VOTE, AND JUDGE THEIR PEERS. BUT - ARE THEY TOO YOUNG TO DRINK?
IF THE AMETHYST INITIATIVE HAS THEIR WAY, THE DRINKING AGE WON'T REMAIN AT 21 FOR LONG.
(external shot, Middlebury College, McCardell walking across campus)
PRESIDENT EMERITUS OF MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE, JOHN MCCARDELL, STARTED THE AMETHYST INITIATIVE IN JUNE 2008. HE FOUNDED THE INITIATIVE IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING NUMBER OF BINGE DRINKING INCIDENTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
THE GOAL OF THE AMETHYST INITIATIVE IS TO OPENLY DISCUSS THE BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS OF CHANGING THE DRINKING AGE TO 18.
(sound bite/video from interview with Jane Curtis, director of CU's Health Promotion Services Department):
"The issue of binge drinking on most college and university campuses exists and is a complex health issue that many of us are working on."
SURPRISINGLY, REACTIONS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE MIXED. SOME AGREE WITH THE AMETHYST INITIATIVE'S LOGIC.
(sound bite/video, interview with Michael Lang, exterior of Virginia Tech)
“I feel if you can go to war and risk your life, you should be able to drink beer. At age 18, you become a legal adult and are given many ‘freedoms’: to vote, hold public office, serve on juries, serve in the military, fly airplanes, sign contracts and so on. Alcohol should be one of those.”
OTHER STUDENTS THINK LOWERING THE DRINKING AGE WILL LEAD TO CHAOS.
(sound bite/video, interview with Nikki Antonucci, exterior of WCU)
“I think all the stupid 18-year-olds would go crazy and drink and get into a car and kill themselves or someone else."
THE AMETHYST INITIATIVE CITES 134 COLLEGE PRESIDENTS AND UNIVERSITY CHANCELLORS AMONG ITS SIGNATORIES. HOWEVER, ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NTSB, THE AMA, AND MADD OPPOSE THIS INITIATIVE.
(sound bite/video of MADD President Laura Dean-Mooney, in MADD HQ)
"The discussion must honor the science behind the 21 law which unequivocally shows that the 21 law has reduced drunk driving and underage and binge drinking.”
STUDIES SHOW THAT OVER HALF OF COLLEGE STUDENTS AGED 18 TO 20 USED ALCOHOL IN THE PAST MONTH. MANY OF THOSE SAME STUDENTS REPORT PERSONAL INJURY, SEVERE EMOTIONAL EPISODES, AND SEXUAL PROMISCUITY.
(sound bite/interview, Alex A, Scranton U campus exterior)
"Beer goggles, that's all I have to say."
DESPITE THE DRINKING AGE BEING 21, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A SHORTAGE OF ALCOHOL AVAILABLE TO UNDERAGE COLLEGE STUDENTS.
(sound bite/video, Michael, VT)
"If you want alcohol there is an easy way to get it and you'll be able to find it, no problem.”
ADRIENNE SAIA, NEWS TEAM BOULDER.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Final blog!
An Intoxicating Controversy
New think tank compels colleges to reconsider the drinking age.
By Adrienne Saia Isaac [mailto: adrienne.isaac@colorado.edu]
A new initiative to discussing change of the legal drinking age has ignited controversy on college campuses. The Amethyst Initiative supports open and constructive discussion of the pros and cons of lowering the national drinking age to 18.
John McCardell, President Emeritus of Middlebury College, began the initiative in June 2008. So far, 134 college and university presidents and chancellors have signed their names to the initiative.
According to the Amethyst Initiative, “twenty-one is not working.” It calls for the following: “to support an informed and dispassionate public debate over the effects of the 21 year-old drinking age, to consider whether the 10% highway fund ‘incentive’ encourages or inhibits that debate, to invite new ideas about the best ways to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol.”
University of Colorado (CU) Chancellor Bud Peterson is not among the signatories.
According to CU’s Health Promotion Services department head Jane Curtis, “the issue of binge drinking on most college and university campuses exists and is a complex health issue that many of us are working on.”
“We are making significant efforts to engage students, parents and the entire community [in the discussion],” Curtis said.
So far, student reactions to lowering the drinking age have been mixed.
“Some consistent points I hear include: many students won't change their behavior if the age were 18 [and] they are concerned for high school students,” Curtis said.
Commander of the CU Police Department Brad Wiesley does not take a stance on the Amethyst Initiative. He believes his job is to enforce state and federal laws, not to comment on them.
“The people’s will is spoken through the legislature and it’s our job to enforce the laws on the books,” he said.
Both he and the department commit to educating students on the consequences of underage and binge drinking through dorm meetings and cooperative efforts with police officers of the City of Boulder.
He approximated that alcohol factors in 60% of crime in the city and on campus.
A list of Amethyst Initiative signatories can be found here.
New think tank compels colleges to reconsider the drinking age.
By Adrienne Saia Isaac [mailto: adrienne.isaac@colorado.edu]
A new initiative to discussing change of the legal drinking age has ignited controversy on college campuses. The Amethyst Initiative supports open and constructive discussion of the pros and cons of lowering the national drinking age to 18.
John McCardell, President Emeritus of Middlebury College, began the initiative in June 2008. So far, 134 college and university presidents and chancellors have signed their names to the initiative.
According to the Amethyst Initiative, “twenty-one is not working.” It calls for the following: “to support an informed and dispassionate public debate over the effects of the 21 year-old drinking age, to consider whether the 10% highway fund ‘incentive’ encourages or inhibits that debate, to invite new ideas about the best ways to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol.”
University of Colorado (CU) Chancellor Bud Peterson is not among the signatories.
According to CU’s Health Promotion Services department head Jane Curtis, “the issue of binge drinking on most college and university campuses exists and is a complex health issue that many of us are working on.”
“We are making significant efforts to engage students, parents and the entire community [in the discussion],” Curtis said.
So far, student reactions to lowering the drinking age have been mixed.
“Some consistent points I hear include: many students won't change their behavior if the age were 18 [and] they are concerned for high school students,” Curtis said.
Commander of the CU Police Department Brad Wiesley does not take a stance on the Amethyst Initiative. He believes his job is to enforce state and federal laws, not to comment on them.
“The people’s will is spoken through the legislature and it’s our job to enforce the laws on the books,” he said.
Both he and the department commit to educating students on the consequences of underage and binge drinking through dorm meetings and cooperative efforts with police officers of the City of Boulder.
He approximated that alcohol factors in 60% of crime in the city and on campus.
A list of Amethyst Initiative signatories can be found here.
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