Arguing for a new amnesty policy

By Andrew Giustini

I lived on campus for my entire four years at Santa Clara, and I spent two of those years as a community facilitator in the Alpha Residential Learning Community.

Since entering both a medical and a graduate program at Dartmouth College three years ago and serving as a graduate advisor -- most similar to a resident minister's role at Santa Clara -- in an undergraduate dorm here for a year, I have had time to reflect on some of the alcohol-related incidents I encountered as a CF. I have since come to two conclusions about Santa Clara's alcohol policy: The policy does not work and is dangerous.

As a CF, I have witnessed and was informed of several incidents where students were reticent to contact Campus Safety Services and SCU Emergency Medical Services to seek assistance for friends who had consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. This trepidation came from fear of sanctions against the intoxicated person or against the people calling for help.

Thankfully, no Santa Clara students have died due to excessive alcohol consumption. I worry, however, that due to stricter sanctions introduced in January 2007 against violators of the alcohol policy, students will be even less likely to call Campus Safety when a friend has consumed too much alcohol.

I agree that irresponsible and illegal abuses of alcohol should be of major concern to Santa Clara's administration. I also strongly believe, however, that the safety of students should be given the administration's highest priority.

Unfortunately, it seems that the regulations at Santa Clara place attempted deterrence of alcohol use above the safety of students. Perhaps the administration should examine how other institutions of higher learning have successfully protected the health and well-being of their students while simultaneously attempting to minimize illegal and unhealthy behavior. Since I currently attend one college that has found this compromise, I will discuss what has worked here.

Dartmouth, like many colleges, has encountered the problem of attempting to deter illegal activity while still placing the safety of its students above all other concerns. This concern prompted the college to adopt a good Samaritan policy, commonly known as Good Sam, in 1988, and to strengthen that policy in 2005. In essence, the Good Sam policy states:

1. Dartmouth is more concerned with the health of its students than with punishing them. Enforcing laws related to alcohol consumption is the purview of the police.

2. Campus Safety officers will assist dangerously intoxicated students by facilitating their transport to Dartmouth's hospital or on-campus health clinic.

3. Students who receive this help will not be subject to disciplinary action solely due to intoxication. To be subject to disciplinary action, the student must also have committed another offense, such as sexual assault, property damage, harassment, etc.

4. Students who are dangerously intoxicated and use the Good Sam policy to receive help will meet with a college administrator or health center employee and must agree to undergo alcohol abuse education and/or treatment.

According to an annual report compiled by Dartmouth, in the school year before this policy was strengthened, there were 27 Good Sam calls. That number has steadily increased to 100 Good Sam calls in the 2006-2007 school year and 109 in 2007-2008. From 2003-2004 to 2007-2008, the number of students facing disciplinary action due to alcohol and drug infractions dropped from 384 to 130, and the total number of allegations of students violating Dartmouth's alcohol and drug policy, including Good Sam calls, dropped from 411 to 239.

Dartmouth's alcohol policy is not perfect and certainly does not prevent all alcohol abuse. No policy can.

The Good Sam policy does, however, help to ensure the safety of students. It works because students call Campus Safety officers when worried about the health of an intoxicated person.

I urge Santa Clara's administration to consider a similar policy. Medical amnesty could decrease the potential for a tragic situation in which a student is intoxicated to a degree where his or her life is in danger, but other students are afraid to call Campus Safety. The safety of students must be the ultimate concern. The current alcohol policy, however, neither significantly deters irresponsible alcohol use nor ensures the safety of students.

Andrew Giustini is a 2006 Santa Clara alumnus. He is a medical student at Dartmouth Medical School and a graduate student at the Thayer School of Engineering.