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Should the Legal Drinking Age be Lowered to 18?By Jami Brinton, Reporter
IOWA CITY - Nearly 100 college presidents are supporting the new Amethyst initiative. The University of Iowa's president is not one of them.
On Tuesday evening, President Sally Mason released a copy of the letter she sent to the head of the Amethyst Initiative (Read letter.) In it she says does not believe lowering the legal drinking age to 18 would be effective at this time. She also claims that there are already too many underage college students who are drinking illegally, and that drunk students have been involved with assaults or unwanted sexual advances with their peers. Many University of Iowa students like to drink. In fact, the school recently took 12th place on the Princeton Review for the top party schools. Since 1984, the legal age to buy and drink alcohol has been 21. But what if the age limit were lowered to 18? "I kind of feel like it's like that already. People are underage drinking all the time. People may go a little crazy. I don't know if it would be the best idea as people might go nuts," said Caitie Polz, UI student. "I think people do it more because they like to rebel so they like to do things. I think it's a very good idea," said Karson Rump, UI student. The new Amethyst initiative supported by 100 college presidents calls on lawmakers to debate the effectiveness of the 24-year old law which could mean lowering the legal age limit to 18, the same age when people can vote or join the military. "If you go downtown on any Thursday, Friday or Saturday night now you'll see there are a lot of persons 18 or 19 who are now illegally drinking," said Sgt. Troy Kelsay, Iowa City Police Department. Charged with overseeing nearly 400 high school seniors at City High, Principal Mark Hanson thinks lowering the age limit is a bad idea that may mean even younger students will start drinking. "Basically they've just been driving for a couple of years. If they are able to get the alcohol legally and start experimenting with that and then get behind the car, that's a whole other issue," said Mark Hanson, City High Principal. And that issue of drunk driving has organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving outraged that college presidents would even consider the idea. Among all statewide colleges, only the President of Coe College has currently given his support to the group, saying he believes further research by the group might help identify solutions. More Good Stuff |
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