Duke University President Richard Brodhead has joined several university leaders across the country calling for a conversation about lowering the nation's drinking age.

He says it might help universities keep closer tabs on drunk driving and binge drinking.

For many college students, ordering up a cocktail or buying a beer is something they've done well before they turned 21.

Under age drinking is a situation some say leads to problems down the road.

"When people are drinking alcohol underage they're more likely to have an alcohol problem later and also drink and drive," said Barbara Blackburn with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Raleigh.

She said she was surprised when she heard Duke University President Brodhead publicly supports a debate on lowering the drinking age.

"We do think lowering the drinking age to 18 is irresponsible," Blackburn said.

In a message supporting the Amethyst Initiative, President Brodhead said the current drinking age may actually contribute to unhealthy behavior.

"At colleges and universities, the law does have other effects. It pushes drinking into hiding, heightening its risks, including risks from drunken driving; and it prevents us from addressing drinking with students as an issue of responsible choice," President Brodhead wrote.

The Amethyst Initiative was started a year ago, and since then has quietly been recruiting about 100 university and college presidents across the country to support a national dialogue aimed at lowering the drinking age.

We asked students on Duke Campus about the initiative and got lots of opinions.

"Either enforce it better or like lower it," freshman Melody Chan said.

Lina Colucci is a student who is originally from Brazil, a country with a lower drinking age.

"A lot of my friends that are my age drank and so I think people learn to drink more responsibly at an earlier age," Colucci said.

Her mother offered a piece of advice when it comes to universities trying to teach responsible drinking.

"I think this comes from home I don't think the university can teach this, so if you don't give this background to your children, it's not here that they're going to learn," Rita Avancini said.


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