USC president against change
Other S.C. schools still looking at proposal by about 100 universities to lower limit
The college campus idea of lowering the drinking age from 21 isn't gaining much support from South Carolina's most visible school.
University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides said Wednesday he could not support lowering the drinking age and legally expanding youth access to alcohol.
But he did say he was "pleased that a light" has been focused on an important problem, such as drinking on college campuses.
This week, presidents from about 100 universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, asked state legislatures to consider lowering the widely accepted state drinking age of 21 on grounds that the current laws encourage dangerous binge drinking.
No South Carolina colleges or universities appear to have immediately signed on with the effort, called the Amethyst Initiative. College of Charleston President George Benson is "looking at both sides of the issue," said media spokesman Mike Robertson. Clemson is still evaluating the matter, a media affairs official said. The Citadel said the school has just recently become aware of the Amethyst Initiative and is reviewing its proposal.
Campus officials from other parts of the country backing the change contend that the 21-year-old drinking age threshold gets routinely broken by college students, and that alcohol-related mishaps often result from binge behavior.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving said lowering the drinking age, including to age 18, would lead to more fatal crashes.
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lou9 (anonymous) says...
So these educated melonheads think that by lowering the drinking age it will eliminate binge drinking? What the hell are they teaching these kids in these colleges? They will continue to binge drink, only they would be able to legally buy alcohol. The colleges are just trying to cover their asses by reducing their liability. Binge drinking is an attitude not related to age. These university heads are dumber than a box of rocks.
The only persons under the age of 21 that should be allowed to drink are those in the military, and only if they do it at the club on post. They're laying their lives on the line for our freedom so I have no problem with that.
August 21, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
number1volsfan1 (anonymous) says...
The only reason for supporting lowering the drinking age is to take enforcement responsibility off the administrators' shoulders.
August 21, 2008 at 8:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
If you can be drafted at 18 you should be able to drink at 18. Otherwise they need to increase the draft age to 21.
August 21, 2008 at 11:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mademoiselle16 (anonymous) says...
I agree with you Iceman. If you are old/mature enough to die for your country, then you are old/mature enough to drink.
Also, looking at this from a cultural stand point, America is really too conservative/prudish about a lot of things, including alcohol and sex. Because generally as a country and more specifically as parents, we don't want to talk about alcohol and sex, teenagers see these as being the "forbidden fruit" that they must try. Yes, wpc, it is a part of growing up. However, if as a culture we were more accepting of drinking and sex, and taught our children how to do both responsibly and introduced it to them at a young age, it would lessen the "forbiddeness" of it and lead to a decrease in the unhealthy and dangerous drinking habits of today's high school and college students. I don't mean that you should spike your baby's milk bottle, but I mean that parents should be comfortable drinking in front of their children at dinner, perhaps, and explain to them that alcohol isn't something bad (which makes that child want to experiment all the more)! For instance, in many European countries the drinking age is as low at 16. And the driving age is 18. Children as young as 14 start drinking wine at the family dinner table. Then, when they become old enough to drink, they have already been exposed to it and aren't going to go crazy in the bars at college. When I spent last summer in France, the only people that were at bars doing shot after shot and making drunken fools of themselves were Americans, because most of the kids weren't 21 yet and this was their first chance to legally drink, so of course they had to make up for lost time! The French students had been used to drinking legally for several years, and were taught "how to do it" in a safe, respectful way at home by their parents. They drink to socialize and enjoy food more, not to get drunk like kids do over here. If more American parents viewed drinking like the French, and the drinking age were lowered to allow this to fully take effect, then I would expect dangerous drinking episodes would actually decrease.
August 21, 2008 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
mademoiselle16, Exactly. I've drank since I was 13. I spent a great deal of my childhood and teen years growing up in Europe and it wasn't at all unusual to drink wine on Sundays with the family. It may dilluted a bit or may only be a small amount but kids often have wine on Sunday. We also have wine with communion at church.
I only drink for two reasons. If I'm having a nice meal I'll have a glass of wine with it to enhance the flavor. Red wine tends to go very well with steak and whites tend to go better with seafood. Grilled salmon and Kendall Jackson chardonnay is good. Sometimes when I get home from a very long or stressful day I might enjoy a gin & tonic while shooting pool.
On driving: If you're going to be driving home only have one drink and have it preferably with a meal or appetizer. It's also good to wait an hour or so. I tend to linger over coffee and conversation while at a restaurant so waiting two hours after a meal with wine to drive home is what I usually do. If I'm going to have a second drink I wait until I home for the evening.
August 21, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nikkiP (anonymous) says...
I probably did more responsible drinking when I was underage, as opposed to when I turned 21.
I work as an RA on campus, and I don't think these kids are ready to drink. Most of them have the idea of drinking to get wasted, as opposed for a more "rational" reason. For example, they're drink PBR to get drunk. I won't drink anything that doesn't have a good taste to it. And then you start to see how it affects their academic performance.
And honestly, age has little to do with it. People will make dumb decisions no matter what, especially with drunk driving. I still know people that have already graduated and will drive when they're black-out drunk. Why doesn't MADD start giving out breathilizer tests outside of bars so people can tell when they're okay to drive?
August 21, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
nikkiP, To my knowledge the bars can be sued if they serve alcohol to someone who is already intoxicated.
August 21, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nikkiP (anonymous) says...
That depends where you draw the line at "intoxicated." i'm pretty sure I've gone bar hopping when drunk, no one really says anything.
But most people that drive drunk think they're totally fine to drive, maybe a little buzzed. Perhaps seeing that they are blowing way over .08 would help them make the right decision.
August 21, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
I must concur with madam16. I've lived overseas, in fact had my first child over there and I lived and socialized with the 'locals'. Their attitudes towards alcohol & sex were so ambivalent. I sat with a German family who had big Sunday dinners and their children at age 12 or 13 were allowed to drink a small amount of wine and/or port.
I worked with teenaged nationals who looked at drinking as something to do when celebrating but necessarily as something to just 'do' when they are hanging out. Don't get me wrong those kids over there partied hard, but alcohol never seemed to be part of the mix.
My friends and I would go to what they called the disco and they would be dancing like fools having a good time and no one would be drunk.
Obviously our American culture is different than the Europeans and I don't advocate that we copy point for point their way of life. But something must be said for the lower level of alcohol related problems and not just say "they don't drive as much as we do hence they don't have as many DUIs" It's all about proportions. PROPORTIONALLY Europeans have less DUIs than Americans.
If we can consider an 18 year old responsible enough to try and convict him as an adult, old enough to send to the death chamber, old enough to draft for military service, old enough to marry, old enough to enter into contracts to include buy a car, then why in the world we don't think them responsible enough to purchase alcohol?
I tell you why, it is because of those who advocate temperance at that age generally also advocate puritanical ideals, censorship and the use of the long arm of government to decide what is best for everyone.
I've recently dropped off a daughter to college for the first time. I explained to her my views on an 18 year olds drinking alcohol. I told her she was old enough to buy, carry and use a gun and I felt she was old enough to drink. However, since the law is what it is, I told her in spite of the views of her family that it was imperative that she followed the law for there is nothing out there that is worth being arrested and/or possibly being thrown out of college for. But I still feel that our priorities are skewed and to often our government kowtows to special interest groups
August 21, 2008 at 2:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
eyefigureroa, Most people who hold puritanical beliefs still long for the days of alcohol prohibition.
August 21, 2008 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
scary iceman, scary!
August 21, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
STREETLAW (anonymous) says...
Hey, raise the legal drinking age to 30. That way maybe fewer children will wind up abused and neglected by their parents.
As to under aged students drinking on campus. Expel them. If they are on scholarships, take it away.
The ADC (alcohol and drug cult) permeates our society and leads to over 300,000 deaths (sacrifices) a year. Meanwhile the media focuses on the deaths of our service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan while hardly ever giving them credit for what they have accomplished.
We've got a long way to go in the US of A and Pogo looks more prophetic each day. For those of you who do not remember, Pogo intoned "We have met the enemy and it is us."
Pogo, by the way, has run for President every year since 1952 and this just may be his year.
August 21, 2008 at 3:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nikkiP (anonymous) says...
ey- I think I saw you!
I think the reason most 21 year olds are more responsible drinkers is because they've been drinking since they were teenagers. By that time you've learned from your own mistakes and have grown up about it. having parents educate their kids from a young age on drinking and alcohol is very important, but rarely done here.
I even have the little speech I give the freshman. Which always ends with "it's illegal, and you will probably get in trouble."
Streetlaw- expelling kids for drinking is like taking your license away for going over the speed limit, even if it's only by a couple miles an hour.
Most of the students caught on campus are cooperative, responsible, and typically haven't had more than a few drinks (if that.) There's no reason to expel or force a kid from school for that. Now, when they are belligerant or a danger to those around them, they are reported to the police and then they have the scholarships taken away and go through the court system.
Besides, coming down that hard on kids for drinking will only lead them to be more secretive about it. You can't stop it, so you have to educate them. And you never want to a scenario of someone that needs serious medical help, but won't call EMS because they are afraid of getting in trouble.
August 21, 2008 at 4:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
nikkip: you should have stopped by! I know I looked a hot mess. Went up 8 flights of stairs twice! I'm too old for that type of exertion!
You make a good point and as an RA I'm sure you've seen it all.
I know my mini-me is not on your floor, but don't hesitate to look out for her! I don't call but I still worry. ;-( Guess it's the mommy in me.
August 21, 2008 at 4:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nikkiP (anonymous) says...
Oh, my mom still does the same thing. I'm 21 and just looking forward to graduating in May, but if I don't call her she'll think I've dead in a ditch or something.
yeah, we see alot. And it varies, and shows that age has little to do with the problem. I've seen freshmen that have a few drinks, are responsible, and are kids I'd never have to worry about. Then I see kids that will buy whatever cheap mess they can get because they just want to be "wasted." It's a little intense. And I never like having to be there for a kid that needs to go to the hospital, and trying to convince his/her friends that calling EMS won't get anyone into trouble.
August 21, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BerkeleyCo_Mom_of_3 (anonymous) says...
eyf...well said again. You are one smart lady!
August 21, 2008 at 4:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rjcontego (anonymous) says...
its about time! the usa is the laughing stock of the world on this and it does encourage massive binge drinking!
August 22, 2008 at 5 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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