Let’s face it: our campus is a wet one. I mean that it isn’t dry. Most students partake in regular alcohol consumption (along with other drug experimentation or recreational use), and many of them are under the legal age of twenty-one. I hope this isn’t news to you. But, did you ever hear about the current alcohol and drug policy in place on campus? Here is a quote straight from the Dean of Students’ Lifebook“When the University learns of a student’s illegal possession or use of alcohol or drugs as a result of that student’s seeking medical assistance for him- or herself, or another person, that student ordinarily will not be subject to University disciplinary sanctions for possession or use of that substance so long as the student completes all education and counseling programs recommended by the University.”
My assumption is that the quote above is a new piece of information. How do you feel about it? I think it needs more clarity, better accessibility (because who reads the Lifebook?!), as well as its own web-based educational quiz for incoming Terriers. Read on for more reasons why establishing such a policy will benefit our student body.
– According to an Alcohol Task Force representative from BU’s Wellness and Prevention Services, the average BAC level for all BU medical emergency transports is .21. (In the range of .20 and .24 BAC levels, vomiting and blackouts are likely to occur.) Since this is the average BAC, it is likely that people are not calling for help until the BAC is far more than .21!
– Other private institutions in the area (Emerson, MIT, Harvard and Northeastern) have established Medical Amnesty or Good Samaritan Policies on their campuses. The state of Massachusetts also has a Good Samaritan Policy in which a person’s health and safety is priority.
– Every minute a student hesitates to call for help is further endangering the student in need of medical attention. Establishing a clear policy will encourage students to make the call for help, assist themselves or their friend(s), and avoid stressful party situations involving alcohol poisoning.
– This policy is not a way to “get off scot free”. Establishing Medical Amnesty is not a policy that encourages binge drinking or underage drinking, but rather, encourages responsibility and self-care. In addition, it is likely that the victim and/or caller in a medical emergency will be subjected to attending educational seminars on safe alcohol consumption.
– In terms of accessibility, a study on college campus online education effectiveness resulted in this way: “Students who are aware that a medical amnesty policy is in effect are 2.5 times more likely than students who expect to face disciplinary actions to call for help when witnessing the signs of alcohol poisoning.”
If you care about our student body’s health and safety, spread the word about establishing Medical Amnesty on campus. Our administration may not be keen on the idea of amending the current Lifebook statement and approach to underage drinking education now, but my hope is that in the future they will understand how significant an amendment would be for our health, safety, and on campus judicial practices.