Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona Jr. and MADD-Hawai'i yesterday rejected a proposal this week by college presidents nationwide to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18.

"This new effort does nothing to solve the serious problems posed by underage drinking, and its backers are showing irresponsibility on par with those who binge drink and put themselves and others in harm's way," Aiona said in a prepared statement. "We now know more about the potentially lifelong consequences of underage drinking than ever before."

According to the 2007 Hawai'i Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 59 percent of youths have consumed alcohol, down from 65 percent in 2005 and 75 percent in 1993.

Hawai'i leads the nation in the percentage of vehicle crashes that are related to alcohol — 52 percent, Aiona said.

"While we have seen our efforts to change the culture of underage drinking slowly pay off, these college administrators have taken it upon themselves to undo the tireless work of our state and county governments, local communities, businesses, nonprofits and families to keep our young people safe," Aiona said in a statement after a news conference.

At the conference was Leah Marx, executive director of MADD-Hawai'i, and William Walker, a military service member who lost two of his underage friends to a drunken-driving car crash.

Binge drinking has gone down from 41 percent to 26 percent since the drinking age was changed to 21 in 1984, Marx said. Since then, there has been an 11 percent drop in alcohol-related fatalities among youth, saving nearly 25,000 American lives, she said.

Aiona is co-chair of Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, a national leadership organization that seeks to prevent and reduce underage drinking.

The declaration from the presidents of more than 100 colleges and universities is sponsored by a national group called Choose Responsibility, an effort launched by an advocacy group called the Amethyst Initiative.

The group says the current drinking age has helped lead to a dangerous culture of clandestine binge-drinking by underage college students.

They also say it is wrong that adults ages 18 to 20 "are deemed capable of voting, signing contracts, serving on juries and enlisting in the military, but are told they are not mature enough to have a beer."