Butler One Of Many Schools To Support Discussion Of Drinking Age

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(UNDATED) - More than 100 presidents of universities and colleges nationwide have signed on to a movement to reexamine the 21-year-old drinking age in America.

However, the movement also has the group, Mother's Against Drunk Driving...well...mad! The Amethyst Initiative includes signatories from universities of all types, from Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois, a Franciscan, Catholic university, to Columbus, Ohio's very own Ohio State University.

Only one Indiana president signed on, President Bobby Fong of Butler University.

However, MADD President Laura Dean-Mooney says, though the organization is open to a discussion of the topic, they say the science supporting the 21-year-old drinking age must be honored.

Amethyst Initiative officials and signatories say, though they are currently only calling for a discussion on the topic, that an 18-year-old drinking age may reduce binge drinking since college students could have an opportunity to, more or less, learn how to drink responsibly before arriving, and it could remove the taboo that, in part, makes drinking parties so appealing to underage students.

Indiana University President Michael McRobbie, who did not sign on to the initiative, was unable to be reached for comment by press time.

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