Drinking age: Gee opens debate at OSU

When Michael Fisher was asked about the possibility of lowering the drinking age, he pretended to pout.

"It's not as fun when it's allowed," said the sophomore engineering major.

Some states might change the legal age for drinking if a new national debate about the issue provokes reform. The Amethyst Initiative, a petition to debate the drinking age, was created over the summer.

John McCardell, President Emeritus of Middlebury College, is the founder and director of Choose Responsibility. He and other American university leaders drafted the document, according to his assistant Grace Kronenberg.

The statement "comes from a desire to reopen debate on a national level," Kronenberg said.

So far, 130 university presidents have signed the statement, including OSU President Gordon Gee.

"President Gee is aware that underage drinking is an issue across the country," said Jim Lynch, director of OSU media relations. Lynch also said Gee does not necessarily think the drinking age should change, but that binge-drinking and alcohol abuse by underage students needs to be addressed.

Others say the drinking age is not the problem.

"Research was found that keeping the drinking age at 21 has been beneficial in keeping people healthy and safe," said Patricia Harmon, executive director of the Drug Free Action Alliance in Columbus. In Europe, where the drinking age is lower than in the United States, some countries are also having trouble with binge-drinking, Harmon said.

"Some countries are considering raising the drinking age," she said. Alcohol-related deaths doubled in Great Britain between 1991 to 2006, according to the nation's Office for National Statistics.

Kronenberg said the drinking age should be reconsidered mainly because it is not well-enforced. She said most police encounters with underage drinkers do not end in arrest, and that binge drinking is still a problem on college campuses. "We don't see how a law that fails on all those levels is the best we can do," she said.

Harmon, however, recalls the 70s, when 29 states lowered the drinking age, including Ohio, where it was reduced to 18. "Alcohol traffic fatalities increased dramatically," she said. In states where the legal age remained 21, people would drive to other states with lower drinking ages.

No matter what the drinking age is, Gee thinks something must be changed about the law.

"He strongly believes that a comprehensive review of policy related to responsible drinking is needed," Lynch said.

Students like freshman Willie Babani are quick to follow Gee's example.

"I really admire him," Babani said. "I'm sure there's a good reason for why he signed. I'm sure I would agree. He's a smart guy."

Fisher is more skeptical about the importance of the petition. "It's not like getting alcohol on campus is a problem, whether you're a freshman or a senior," he said.

Although college students often take the brunt of discussion about underage drinking, Harmon said the issue applies to anyone underage.

"We need to think of people not in college," she said. "We have to think about the health of all people under 21, including non-college. The problem goes to quite young ages."

At OSU, the focus is on trying to find a way to keep college students healthy and to eliminate binge and underage drinking. "We applaud your president for signing," Kronenberg said. "Ohio State is a good example of a large, leading institution."

Despite the university's involvement in the Amethyst Initiative, Lynch said OSU will continue to uphold the law and take a strong stand against underage drinking.

Everdeen Mason can be reached at mason.388@osu.edu.