Colleges Look To Lower Legal Drinking Age

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Reporter: Cayle Thompson
Email Address: cayle.thompson@kake.com

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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

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Unknown Location: Wichita on Aug 20, 2008 at 11:03 AM
I think that this is kind of stupid. I will be 18 in 2 months and I dont care to drink. I know a lot of my friends that drink and it worries me because they are not safe about it. Most seniors are turning 18 within the year and some of them will be stupid about it if the drinking age is lowered. I think it should stay at 21

Posted by: what? on Aug 20, 2008 at 10:20 AM
first of all, just because you have been breaking the law since you were 16 doesn't mean everyone should. 2) fraternities and sororities have nothing to do with it--Parents need to do their job. 3) I'm under 21 and this is absurd. When we lower the drinking age, not only will we have a bunch of 18,19 and 20 yr olds running around not thinking, but then 15,16, and 17 yr olds will have better access to it, just like 18, 19, and 20yr olds do now. Please don't lower it.

Posted by: Tony Location: Wichita on Aug 20, 2008 at 09:25 AM
Lower It. I drank from the time I was 16... I will allow my kids to have a few when they turn 16 AT HOME. Once you say not to do something, the first instinct is to do it. Lower the age, legalize pot and prostitution... All will be good...

Posted by: Concerned Location: Kansas on Aug 20, 2008 at 08:08 AM
Do these learned leaders understand the physical consequences of alcohol on a young brain?

Posted by: cliff Location: wichita on Aug 20, 2008 at 07:13 AM
using the same logic, why not lower the drinking age to birth? that should solve all the worlds problems.

Posted by: 18yrs? your not ready! on Aug 20, 2008 at 05:34 AM
This is a prime example of teens being irresponsible with drinking. 18-year-old Austin Lee Slanker-Wilson unresponsive in a dormitory bathroom Friday. Slanker-Wilson was a Freshman from Wellington. If your 21 and under, you're not ready to handle the responsibility of drinking. Kids really should focus their quality time in a different direction other than drinking.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Wichita,Ks on Aug 20, 2008 at 05:29 AM
I agree with the 2nd comment. What law enforcement should be doing is busting those who are 21 yrs old and over who are supplying alcohol to underaged students. Underaged drinking has nothing to do with challenging the legal system. It's peer pressure by fraternities and sororities.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 20, 2008 at 04:47 AM
I think this is the dummest thing ....kids are going to keep on drinking no matter what you do.

Posted by: Ms. Obvious Location: Wichita on Aug 20, 2008 at 02:48 AM
Binge-drinking is another form of natural selection along with chain-smoking and eating too many cheeseburgers. It's painful to watch but free will is always a sticky wicket.

Posted by: Registered Voter Location: Kansas (ICT) on Aug 19, 2008 at 10:16 PM
I started drinking and sneeking into clubs at a young age due to the drinking age being raised each year from 18 to 19 before I turned of age, then 21 when I almost reached 19. I think it's good that there are some 18 and up clubs available, but I have two thoughts... (1) If the drinking age is lowered, there maybe more DUI's involved due to lack of maturity of handling drinking appropriately. But (2) I agree on the other side that it's going to happen anyhow. But when 18-21 year olds are getting alcohol anyhow, what stops when it's changed to 18 to purchase it stops them from buying for younger kids due to maturity and being able to obtain it legally. There are very much some pro's and con's of this happening. Overall I think that there isn't enough things for kids to do to entertain them that they have access to, along with peer pressures to fit in as well as possibility lack of parents involvement or over doing their parenting to "save" their kids from the "bad things" in life.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 19, 2008 at 09:48 PM
As someone who is not 21 yet, in my opinion i think it would be better because kids my age would not be so inclined to drink because its not a rush if its legal. When kids drink its more fun because they know they're doing something wrong..if the age is lowered...the rush is gone so the funs kind of out of it in my opinion.A lot of my friends who are over 21 say when you hit 21 drinkings not as much fun anymore because you're allowed to do it

Posted by: ?& on Aug 19, 2008 at 09:19 PM
This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard of!!! Kids will drink whether the drinking age is lower or not!!!

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