The drinking age is a very relevant issue to students of this university. John McCardell writes about "The Amethyst Initiative" a statement by 135 college and university presidents and chancellors, which invites our elected officials to hold a public debate regarding the drinking age. I agree with McCardell's opinion of lowering the drinking age. Aside from the fact that people are allowed to drive a car and go to war before they're allowed to enjoy a drink, the new problem facing drinking isn't drunk driving.

Drunk driving is no longer the most important problem law enforcement faces. According to the National Institute of Alcoholism, "of the 5,000 lives lost to alcohol each year by those under 21, more than 60% are lost OFF the roadways."

The problem is minors, especially college students, engaging in binge drinking. Taking a large amount of shots in a small amount of time is a common ritual all over the country and death tolls are climbing.

As more students binge drink the more incoming students learn from their elders the following year. Just recently, a study on binge drinking was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association saying that, "despite efforts at prevention, the prevalence of binge drinking among college students is continuing to rise, and so are the harms associated with it."

There are viable solutions to the problem. Our elected officials have a responsibility to take into account that times change and a public debate should be considered. McCardell also offers a "driver-s license-esque" format where one needs to follow the laws regarding alcohol in order to consume it. These are steps not only toward responsible partiers, but responsible people as well.

David Resis,

Champaign, Ill.