Right now universities around the United States have been pushing for a lowered drinking age, in an attempt to curb binge drinking by removing the stigmas around alcohol and alcohol related behavior.

Support for a lower drinking age is coming from a surprising place. A group, made up of presidents from some of the nation’s top universities, wants lawmakers to consider a national drinking age of 18.

Freshmen at Augustana are gearing up for the start of a new experience. But what if turning 18 and entering college carried the right to drink alcohol? Nearly 100 presidents at Universities like Duke, Dartmouth, Ohio State and Syracuse, to name a few, support the consideration.

“The presidents are calling for more discussion, more dialogue, more investigation of data. Personally, I am totally for that. Beyond that, I don’t think we can draw any more conclusions from what the data says yet, but I’m for dialogue and investigation,” says Evelyn Campbell, Augustana Dean,Vice President of Student Services.

College presidents argue that having to wait until 21 to drink, actually encourages dangerous binge drinking. Some students agree.

“Everyone’s waiting to hit 21, but I think it if were 18, it would reduce that anticipation of “I can’t wait to drink,” says Nick Stader, Augustana Junior, 21.

Ryan Landi is a young senior at the age of 20, and he admits he drinks. He thinks drinking at 18 would help curb binge drinking if parents were there to teach their children how to drink responsibly.

“When they get to college and everyone’s the same age, there’s no parents, there’s freedom and they don’t know how much to drink, so they drink as much as they feel,” says Landi, 20.

It goes without saying that binge drinking carries certain dangers that more educated drinkers would avoid including drunk driving, and alcohol poisoning.  As to whether lowering the drinking age to give young adults more of an opportunity to experience drinking in more controlled settings rather than hiding out in basement parties and the like, however some groups like M.A.D.D. (mothers against drunk driving) think that a lower drinking age would prompt more dire consequences, including drunk driving and potential fatalities.

I do agree that removing the stigmas around drinking (and many other prohibited activities) can reduce the desire to over-do them (think about the temptation of “forbidden fruit”), however, there’s no assurances that lowering the drinking age to 18 will really have that much effect on the young adult population.  Especially not at first.  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Don’t take those gloves off just yet.

“Sex-it-up” Obama vs. “Old-as-dirt” McCain. Let’s keep it clean gentleman.

Popularity: 3% [?]

McCain showed up on SNL and in a bit of self-mockery stated that American should look for many qualities in the next President, one of which should be age, which he has in spades at 71 years old. Does age make a difference?

One can only look at Bush upon taking office, and Bush now, to see how time in office could age the candidates… so will age be a factor in the elections? If so, look for McCain to do his best to diffuse it in much the same way as he attempted last night.

Popularity: 3% [?]