Gordon Clay here. It's getting close to the application deadline for most colleges for those students who want to start in the fall. The decision of what college to go to can be a complicated one.

What do Colgate, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Lewis & Clark, Ohio State, Syracuse, Texas A & M, and the University of Wisconsin have in common? They and another 120 college and university presidents want your 18 year-old freshman to have easy, legal access and encouragement to drink alcohol.

Yes, these academics have banded together to lobby their state legislatures to lower the drinking age to 18.

What we know is that the early use of alcohol (before 21) negatively impacts the developing brain and leads to an increase dependence on alcohol later in life.

In a recent study, over thirty percent of college students were diagnosis for alcohol abuse and six percent alcohol dependence in the past 12 months. 1,400 college students between 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries and other consequences include assault, injury, unprotected sex, academic problems, alcohol-related health problems, arrests for alcohol-related violations and sexual assault.

College administrators need to step up and tackle the problem of binge drinking head on. It’s time for real leadership in formulating campus alcohol policies, instead of dreaming up ways to limit potential liability. They should engage students in developing a set of principles designed to create a campus environment that de-emphasizes the role of heavy drinking in student life.

For a list of universitites not to let you children go to, see thecitizenswhocare.org/college.html. Thanks for listening