In July, presidents of over 100 different colleges signed the Amethyst Initiative, which would allow states to lower the legal drinking age without the consequence of a 10-percent highway tax if taken into effect. If the initiative were put into action, local reactions would vary drastically.
Mississippi State University’s vice president for student affairs Bill Kibler said changing the drinking age to 18 from 21 would not change MSU’s approach to addressing alcohol. He said the university takes a two-prong approach to alcohol: informing students and enforcing the law.
“Education begins with making our students understand and comply with the law,” Kibler said.
He said the university educates students on drinking responsibly to prevent potentially dangerous results of alcohol. Law enforcement mainly focuses on handling more serious offenses, such as drunk driving.
If the legal drinking age is lowered, some students would be able to buy alcohol legally by their senior year of high school.
Starkville High School assistant principal Sean McDonnall said the majority of 18-year-olds are not mature enough to handle the freedom of being able to obtain alcohol legally. After having worked with teenagers for over 20 years, McDonnall said he has seen too much immaturity and too many accidents and deaths in Starkville from underage students to believe that teenagers should be allowed to drink legally.
McDonnall said a teenager who wants to drink will generally find a way to obtain alcohol but taking away any preventative measures from students would only add fuel to the fire.
“Education is the key,” McDonnall said. “Kids need to understand what can happen when drinking irresponsibly.”
He said a combined effort of responsibility education from school and home is critical in preventing alcohol abuse in teenagers.
Mugshots Bar and Grill owner Chris McDonald said a lower drinking age would neither help nor hinder irresponsible drinking in young adults.
“I doubt that it would have any effect,” he said. “If they’re going to drink, they’re going to find a way,” McDonald said.
McDonald said he is in favor of a lower drinking age. If 18-year-olds are old enough to enlist in the military, they should be allowed to buy a beer, he said.
A lower drinking age would increase business substantially, McDonald said.
19-year-old animal science major Patrick First said he is all in favor of a lower drinking age. He said lowering the drinking age to 18 would reduce binge drinking and drunk driving.
“Students wouldn’t feel like they were rebelling or breaking the law,” First said.
22-year-old banking and finance major Jessica Campbell said the legal drinking age should remain 21. She said the extra three years of waiting gives students more time to mature.
“Sure, at 18 you’re an adult by some standards,” Campbell said, “but when you’ve lived a few more years, you’ll be able to handle certain situations better.”
The Starkville Police Department refused to give an opinion on how the force would react to a lower drinking age.
“We’re not going to have any personal opinions,” said SPD Capt. Christopher Thomas We just enforce the law no matter what.”