UT’s president still on the fence on lowering drinking age

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Posted: 11:12 AM Aug 21, 2008
Last Updated: 11:14 AM Aug 21, 2008
Reporter: KXII-TV Staff
Email Address: firstnews@kxii.com

17 comments

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AUSTIN -- A number of university presidents across the country are considering a campaign to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. The president at the University of Texas is still considering whether to join those efforts.

What do you think the legal drinking age should be?

More than 100 presidents nationwide are asking politicians to rethink the minimum drinking age, saying the “21 law” contributes to risky behavior among students. UT’s president says he is still getting input from students and professors on his campus.

"Perhaps then you would not feel compelled to drink the amount, the quantity at a given time. The flip side though, and I think this is very important, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are very concerned about drinking and driving fatalities related to lowering the drinking age," UT professor Dr. Kim Fromme said.

Proponents of the plan say you can vote, serve on a jury, and enlist in the military before you're old enough to drink legally. But others say, among other things, that the risks go up the lower that age is.

Check out more on this on Lisanne Anderson's blog

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: WONDERING Location: SHERMAN on Aug 26, 2008 at 11:30 AM
SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE THAN DRINKING GOING ON AT THE FRIENDS HOUSE! WHY WOULD HER DAD CARE ABOUT GETTING YOU DRUNK? THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM

Posted by: OOTO Location: Texoma on Aug 26, 2008 at 06:13 AM
Somebody, I am confused. Your father was an alcoholic who would get you anything you wanted when you were 10 or 11, but yet when you were 14 your friend's parents had to call and convince your parents "they are churchy and christian(sic)?" Somehow, this story smacks of fantasy!

Posted by: somebody Location: somewhere on Aug 24, 2008 at 09:37 PM
they may as well make it no legal drinking age. because even when i was 10-11 years old i had an alcoholic father that didn't give a d*** what i did. I could look at him and say dad can you go get me a bottle of hot damn and he would go to the liquor store and come back with it. there are many parents out there like that and that buy beer and throw parties for thier kids to drink. open your eyes people it doesn't matter if they have friends. they have parents or back in high school i had a friend, her dad was always wakeing mee up in the mornings with the question what kind of alcohol do you want for tonight. i lived over there pretty much and the nights i wasn't there he or his wife would call me (convincing my parents they are churchy and christian) and i would get on the phone and tell them what i wanted the next night. he made a breakfast that was pancakes and straight rum to drink before the church bus came to pick us up. I was 14 at that time. I'm 21 now!!

Posted by: Observer of the Obvious Location: Texoma on Aug 22, 2008 at 10:52 PM
Once again, you folks totally miss the point. At 21, the US has one of the oldest ages for legal drinking. We also have more problems with drunk driving, college binge drinking...etc. Why? Looks like rather than doing your job as parents, you are looking to others to raise your children and instill values in them. Shame, shame, shame. You want our government to mandate every aspect of your and your families lives, yet would would scream bloody murder when someone points out that what you are doing is in fact moving toward a totalitarian state. Take some responsibility. Personally, I think that we would be better served if there was no legal drinking age, and that would force parents to at least act in their own homes on this one issue.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Gainesville on Aug 22, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Maybe they should raise the minimum age to join the military to 21. If everyone thinks anyone 18 is not mature enough to make a resposible decision to drink, how can they be responsible enough to defend our country?

Posted by: SE Location: Bryan on Aug 22, 2008 at 11:09 AM
20 yr old, I read on MSN that keeping the drinking age at 21 instead of 18 saves an average of 900 lives per year-900 lives! Plus in 1984 Congress mandated a 10% penalty on highway appropriations for any state with a drinking age below 21. I really don't think states will want to lose highway funding so that 18 year olds can buy alcohol.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Age 21 on Aug 22, 2008 at 09:30 AM
I don't think the drinking age should be any age that you are still in High School. It would just make it that much more accessible to younger and younger teens.

Posted by: ? Location: madill on Aug 22, 2008 at 08:35 AM
What about stiffer punishments for people over 21 buying for minors?

Posted by: John Location: Texas on Aug 21, 2008 at 11:35 PM
The United States has the highest legal drinking age in the world. Are children are allowed to die in combat over seas, but they aren't aloud to enjoy a beer. It is ridiclious and should of stay lowered after Vietnam.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 21, 2008 at 06:13 PM
I am a paramedic , we see the results of alcohol abuse all the time and it makes me sick to think that people really think it would be ok to lower the legal drinking age. It is bad enough already, why add to it. 18 is just too young.

Posted by: 20 yr old citizen on Aug 21, 2008 at 05:07 PM
research shows that when the legel dinking age was 18 there were less accidents than there are today. Kids in high school already drink that is a proven fact and the problem with it is that they drink more when they get it at a party then they would if it was legal for them to buy it cause they dont know when thay are going to get the chance to drink again. i dont think its the fact that the age thing is the issue i think its the fact that we arent taught to handle it responsibly. better education and harder punishment would be a good solution. I have been dirnking for the past 4 years and i havent killed anyone or done anything stupid while drunk because i was raised to know the consequences. and if you are gonna tell someone they are an adult they should be allowed to do anything legal juat as someone 15 years older than them is.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 21, 2008 at 02:56 PM
I agree with JB Military should be allowed to drink a 18. If you can fight and die to prtect the freedoms of this country that we all enjoy then should be able to enjoy a cold beer at 18. Cheers................

Posted by: JB Location: Sherman on Aug 21, 2008 at 01:57 PM
I would be happy with 21 legal drinking age and 18 with a Military ID and yes you will find some fake ID's just like you find fake drivers license and hold the liquor store responsible instead of the brat who made it.

Posted by: SE Location: Bryan on Aug 21, 2008 at 01:34 PM
NO! NO! NO! We already have enough deaths from drinking and driving. Please don't make it easier for young people to obtain it. They need to be old enough to better understand the consequences.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 21, 2008 at 01:05 PM
How may 18 year olds drink responsibly now??? None I know.

Posted by: Former High School Teacher Location: South Texas on Aug 21, 2008 at 01:03 PM
It doesn't matter if they lower the drinking age or not. The ones that are going to drink are going to drink no matter what! The other issue that gets presented here is that you are going to have students that are still in High School who will able to drink legally and buy alcohol for their younger friends! Yikes! This law really scares me and the reasons that all the different university presidents are giving scare me. Don't think this is good idea at all!

Posted by: larry wonka Location: ok on Aug 21, 2008 at 12:45 PM
It takes thinking outside the box to see the positive behind this. Just looking at the issue in black and white is why most disagree with it, but there are benefits in the research done that is obviously getting the attention of many intellectual college presidents