Police Chief Against Lowering Drinking Age-Sky Arnold

The proposal to lower the drinking age to 18 has a new opponent.

Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas says a lower drinking age
would cause more drunk driving fatalities.

The Chief is making those comments at a national convention on underage drinking at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

The idea of a lower drinking age is gaining support th is week from the Presidents of several universities and colleges.

As of now 123 of them have signed the Amethyst Initiative asking national lawmakers to consider the change-something Chief Serpas says is a big mistake.

Serpas says, "The number one leading cause of death of teenagers is alcohol related auto accidents."

Serpas says that statistic is reason enough to worry teens might be involved in fatal car accidents if the legal drinking age is lowered.

Serpas says, "We are one of the most educated societies in the world and yet we ignore the data that's as clear as the nose on our face. Year in and out the number one cause of death of young people is drinking and driving. What other clue do we need."

It's an opinion not everyone shares.

Matthew Keefe says, "You can vote, you can smoke tobacco which is much more harmful than drinking."

Outside the convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, a group was protesting because they feel 18 is old enough for drinking.

Daniel Lewis says, "You know if they can serve in the military which obviously can be life threatening they should have certain other rights."

A change Chief Serpas says would bring other problems beyond drunk driving.

He says statistics show teens who drink aren't successful in school.

Serpas says, "It's almost a slippery slope. Once they start making those decisions you see fall off in attendance in high school and college."

So far, two Tennessee schools have signed the initiative-Sewanee University of the South and Rhodes College in Memphis.

The proposal to lower the drinking age has also found opposition from the nationwide group Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Police Chief Against Lowering Drinking Age-Sky Arnold