The stage is set for debate.

The issue-the drinking age.

In 1984, Congress passed a law that reduced annual federal highway funding by 10 percent for any state with a drinking age lower than 21.

But in 2009, Congress would have to reauthorize the bill for it to remain law.

On one side is the Amethyst Initiative, which includes more than 120 college presidents who have signed on to the campaign pushing for debate on the drinking age, saying 21 isn’t working.

On the other side are groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which say the initiative’s evidence is misleading, and the 21 drinking age saves countless lives.

Both sides agree on the negative effects of excessive or irresponsible drinking.

The brain isn’t fully developed until about 25, so excessive drinking hurts brain development, said Kathryn Steward, coordinator for health education.

According to fall 2006 data from the National College Health Assessment, 38.2 percent of Western students had done something they later regretted because of alcohol, she said.

Supporters of the Amethyst campaign say the current drinking age increases drinking outside of safe, controlled public spaces as well as binge drinking.

Removing the 1984 law wouldn’t change the drinking age-that’s set by state law- but it would allow serious discussion, according to the campaign.

Between 1993 and 2001, 18 to 20-year-old drinkers showed the largest binge drinking increase of the age group studied at 56 percent, said Grace Kronenberg, assistant to the director of Choose Responsibility, which runs the Amethyst Initiative.

Kronenberg said Choose Responsibility thinks the issue deserves more study and consideration.

“Without a debate that’s fair and rational, we will be stuck with the status quo,” she said.

Amethyst’s list of supporters includes presidents from Duke and Ohio State universities, as well as Murray State University, the only Kentucky president on the list.

Randy Dunn, Murray State’s president, said the campaign’s research makes it clear that the drinking age should be discussed, since it doesn’t seem to be stopping underage and binge drinking.

“My concern is that we have this culture of drinking on so many campuses in this country,” he said. “This mixture of prohibition and enforcement that colleges and universities have been charged with isn’t really doing anything to deal with this issue.”

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, one of the leading opponents of the Amethyst Initiative, says the 21 drinking age saves lives.

On the group’s Web site, it cites a Centers for Disease Control study, which found the law decreases fatalities by 16 percent.

The group credits the implementation of the 21 drinking age with the decrease.

The MADD report also states that a lower drinking age promotes binge drinking, using several European countries that have lower drinking ages but higher binge drinking rates as examples.

Angela Criswell, Kentucky executive director for MADD, said the lack of uniformity for enforcement of the law on college campuses explains the high levels of underage and binge drinking there.

She said the Amethyst Initiative dismisses the research behind the drinking age.

“Their premise is ‘it’s broken and it doesn’t work,’” Criswell said.

Rather than debate the drinking age, Criswell said the focus should be on decreasing the opportunity for underage people to get alcohol.

Kristin Smith, a freshman from Franklin, Tenn., said lowering the drinking age would increase the chance of alcohol-related accidents.

“A lot of kids our age do drink under the age of 21, but there are some people who wait,” she said. “I would think that if you lower it, there would be more chance of kids getting into trouble.”

Louisville sophomore Mackenson Beausejour said he disagreed because underage people know how to get alcohol.

“If you can have it, you probably won’t want it as much,” he said.

President Gary Ransdell said he doesn’t have an opinion on the initiative yet because both sides have valid points.

Western will respect whatever the law is, he said.

“We will shape our values based on what’s right and best for WKU,” he said. “We’ll not allow our values to be shaped by some national debate.”

Reach Michelle Day at news@chherald.com.