Courier

In response to the Amethyst Initiative, an organization of college presidents and chancellors calling for the lowering of the drinking age in the United States, there has been an uproar by many concerned lawmakers, researchers, and parents across the country that believe the idea to be foolhardy.

At a very basic level, the initiative is a selfish move by many of the nation's college presidents to eliminate binge drinking on their campuses, not a complete and relevant look at the topic of binge drinking and underage drinking.

While drinking among those under the age of 21 is both widely prevalent and inevitable, the point remains that underage drinking is frowned upon in American culture.

In France, Italy, Germany, and Great Britain, the lax drinking laws are combined with youths drinking from an early age with their parents, thus making it part of the culture.

In the United States, most parents do not support their children drinking alcohol before it is legally allowed.

Research has shown that, after Reagan signed the Uniform Drinking Age Act in 1984, the number of car accidents significantly lowered in states that implemented a minimum age of 21 than in those that waited a few years. The CDC cites a study by its Task Force on Community Preventive Services that acknowledges a 16 percent decline in crashes among underage youth in states where this occurred.

Furthermore, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a non-profit organization dedicated to its namesake's cause, cites similar studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which reveal a decrease in alcohol-related car accidents after all states mandated a minimum age of 21 to purchase alcohol.

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