Presidents want to reduce binge drinking

CALDWELL -- A controversy is brewing on university campuses nationwide because a group of over 100 U.S. college presidents, including one in Idaho, want lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18. They are arguing it will reduce binge drinking across college campuses.

College of Idaho President Bob Hoover signed his name to the Amethyst Initiative, which supports debate over the 21 year old drinking age.

Hoover and other higher education officials believe that the current drinking age is not working and instead only promotes dangerous binge drinking.

NewsChannel spoke to some College of Idaho students Tuesday about this issue.

Most say there would be pros and cons to lowering the drinking age, but they all agree that it is healthy to have an open discussion about drinking on college campuses.

"If the drinking age got lowered to 18, it would make it a lot easier for the kids to get to.  At least with the 21 age limit, the kids have to go out of their way to find someone to buy them a drink, so it makes it a little more of a challenge," said senior Alex Penrod.

"If we're talking about 21 and 22 year old seniors in high school, dealing with 18 and 19 year old freshmen, if we give the drinking age to 18 year olds, what would that do to say 15 and 16 year olds?" said senior Kate Arbon.

"In Brazil, we know we're not getting in trouble being 18 and drinking, so we go out and have a good time, you don't have to get out of hand.  But here you have this feeling here that it's illegal and then you go all out and bad things can happen," said Mauricio Both.

Activists for Mothers Against Drunk Driving or MADD are asking these college presidents to remove their names from the initiative which they say doesn't support the scientific proof behind the 21 law.

Both Boise State University and the University of Idaho are not part of the Amethyst Initiative.