Popping the top on national drinking age discussion
Ashley Fuquay
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: News
In this dialogue all sides of the argument are forceful. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has argued against the Initiative, saying that lowering the drinking age would cause more alcohol related car crashes while other groups such as Choose Responsibility, the group that started the initiative think lowering the drinking age will also lower the amount of binge drinking among college students.
"This is one of those extraordinarily complicated issues because I know the research that has been conducted on this. Some people would argue very, very forcefully that 21 is from a behavioral standpoint and from a physiological standpoint… is right and there are very complicated background issues," Dottavio said. "People will argue that 21 is a much better age than 18, but on the other side of the equation people will say that because it is tempting that people will try to do things that they should not be doing just because it is a cultural phenomenon and therefore we should not have that as a temptation."
Mercer showed concern for student safety.
"If you hear me talk about alcohol, you are going to hear me talk about drinking and driving and binging… Whether you are 18 or 80, I encourage you to think not twice but 10 times before getting behind the wheel of a car," she said. "I don't want my life endangered, I don't want my family's lives endangered and I certainly don't want our students' lives endangered because they choose to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel a one ton machine. It is the university's duty to teach responsibility."
For more information about the Amethyst Initiative, visit www.amethystinitative.org.
"This is one of those extraordinarily complicated issues because I know the research that has been conducted on this. Some people would argue very, very forcefully that 21 is from a behavioral standpoint and from a physiological standpoint… is right and there are very complicated background issues," Dottavio said. "People will argue that 21 is a much better age than 18, but on the other side of the equation people will say that because it is tempting that people will try to do things that they should not be doing just because it is a cultural phenomenon and therefore we should not have that as a temptation."
Mercer showed concern for student safety.
"If you hear me talk about alcohol, you are going to hear me talk about drinking and driving and binging… Whether you are 18 or 80, I encourage you to think not twice but 10 times before getting behind the wheel of a car," she said. "I don't want my life endangered, I don't want my family's lives endangered and I certainly don't want our students' lives endangered because they choose to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel a one ton machine. It is the university's duty to teach responsibility."
For more information about the Amethyst Initiative, visit www.amethystinitative.org.
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