The Amethyst Initiative launced in July and is backed by more than 100 colleges and universities, including such names as Tufts, Dartmouth, Duke and Ohio State. The goal is to convince lawmakers to look at lowering the legal drinking age.

Supporters of the Amethyst Initiative say it could save thousands of lives every year. By lowering the legal drinking age, many say underage college students would be less inclined to binge drink.

But opponents say the logic is flawed.

Wichita State is one of many institutions that does not support the Amethyst Initiative.

Ron Kopita, Vice President of WSU Campus Life, says lowering the drinking age does not solve the problem of underaged drinking. Instead, he believes educational programs and stiffer penalties for those who violate campus policies are more effective.

Since 2005, WSU Campus Police have taken a more aggressive approach to penalizing underage students caught drinking. In the first six months of 2008, officials issued 44 alcohol-related citations. In all of 2005, that number was only thirteen. Authorities say the dramatic increase is not a result of more students drinking on campus, but of police cracking down more often.

Wichita Police are also cracking down in locations around the city. Since the start of 2008, police have cited 56 minors for consumption of alcohol, 89 for possession of alcohol, and 36 adults have been charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor.

You can learn more about the Amethyst Initiative and its goals online at www.amethystinitiative.org