In Saturday’s speech to the parents of incoming first years, UVA President John T. Casteen informed them about the Amethyst Initiative. He told them, in short, he is considering whether to adhere to a nationwide campaign to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18 years old.
UVA Today reports that Casteen, a longtime leader of the topic of alcohol use and abuse on college campuses, believes the current age limit is ineffective but he doesn’t know if he will sign the petition.
Currently, 129 signatures from college officials over the country have been collected. For these officials, the 21-year-old drinking age limit is not working and, as a consequence, it has created episodes of binge drinking.
Some of the signatories are President James E. Wright, Dartmouth College; President Richard Brodhead, Duke University; President Walter M. Bortz, Hampden-Sydney College; President William Brody, Johns Hopkins University; President E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State University; President C.D. Mote Jr., University of Maryland—College Park; President Kenneth P. Ruscio, Washington and Lee University.
Casteen said he wants to weigh all evidence before making that decision, but he points out that in Europe, where the drinking age is 16 in some countries, and 14 in others, drunkenness is looked down upon and drunks are considered damaged people.
He is interested in what parents and students think and encourages them to e-mail him at jtc@virginia.edu.
UVA President John T. Casteen says he will evaluate all the evidence before deciding whether to sign the petition.