College presidents from coast to coast have jumped aboard the Amethyst Initiative, a movement to rethink the drinking age. More than 130 college officials since June 20 have signed the statement, urging America to spark a public debate and saying, “It’s time to rethink the drinking age.”
With signatures from such prestigious schools as Duke, Syracuse and Dartmouth, more and more are signing every day.
The Initiative goes on to say:
“In 1984 congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which imposed a penalty of 10-percent of a state’s highway federal appropriation on any state setting its drinking age lower than 21.
“Twenty-four years later, our experience as college and university presidents convince us that 21 is not working. A culture of dangerous, clandestine “binge-drinking” — often conducted off-campus — has developed.
“Alcohol education that mandates abstinence as the only legal option has not resulted in significant constructive behavioral change among our students.
“Adults under 21 are deemed capable of voting, signing contracts, serving on juries and enlisting in the military, but are told they are not mature enough to have a beer.
“By choosing to use fake IDs, students make ethical compromises that erode respect for the law. How many times must we relearn the lessons of prohibition?
“We call upon our elected officials: To support an informed and dispassionate debate over the effects of the 21-year-old drinking age; to consider whether the 10-percent highway fund “incentive” encourages or inhibits that debate; to invite new ideas about the best ways to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol.
“We pledge ourselves and our institutions to playing a vigorous, constructive role as these critical discussions unfold.”
The word Amethyst is derived from the Ancient Greek words meaning “non” (a-) and “intoxicated” (methustos).
The purple gemstone amethyst was widely believed to be an antidote to the negative effects of intoxication.
