Photo by bradleypjohnson on Flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons.
Underage drinking is not an uncommon occurrence on college campuses, and as a result, neither are alcohol-related emergencies. If a student drinks too much and becomes unconscious, it is imperative that he receives the medical attention he needs as soon as possible, but usually, students in this predicament can’t call 911 themselves. It therefore becomes the responsibility of his friends to seek out the urgently needed medical help. If, however, their records and futures are risked by making that phone call, then a student’s life hangs in the balance.
Considering these types of situations, I have to believe that an official medical amnesty policy will always be the safest option for students. Under such a policy, universities will not take disciplinary action against a student needing medical attention for alcohol consumption, seeing that the student follows up on any counseling recommended by the university. Likewise, students who called the authorities on behalf of the intoxicated student will be safe from disciplinary action by the school as well. Since it’s a one-time kind of deal, universities don’t have to worry that students will abuse the amnesty offered. Because the program’s primary purpose is to safeguard the student from serious injury or death, it is a policy that all universities should implement.
Although some of Northwestern’s current protocol regarding alcohol-related emergencies on campus is similar to existing medical amnesty programs (i.e. the wellness treatments usually prescribed by the Office of Judicial Affairs), there is no promise that the reporting student will be safe from any disciplinary measures. If there is even the slightest chance that a student’s record will be affected, it is quite possible that the intoxicated student will not get the attention he needs. The indemnity provided by the policy will encourage students to act more quickly in getting the required help for their friend — not even a second would be lost to hesitance.
As a policy that protects both the student receiving medical attention and his friends against disciplinary action from the school, medical amnesty has the potential to save lives. Brown, Dartmouth, Emory, Harvard, NYU, Ohio State, Princeton, Tulane, University of Pennsylvania and Yale are only some of the schools that already have a policy in effect. One must then wonder why Northwestern hasn’t incorporated a similar program into its own disciplinary proceedings.
– Director of the Office of Judicial Affairs Jim Neumeister
Jim Neumeister, Director of the Office of Judicial Affairs, explained, “We’re always looking for ways to address issues and concerns that come up on campus. We are aware of medical amnesty on other campuses, and we’re always evaluating if something like medical amnesty is right for Northwestern — it may or may not be.”
He has a point in that Northwestern shouldn’t haphazardly put such a plan into effect. Structural changes to the judiciary process should be seriously deliberated on, keeping in mind what is safest for students. Such consideration, though, should show that medical amnesty is a good policy to adopt because it shatters any hindrance standing before students in contacting authorities in emergency situations.
Furthering his explanation of Northwestern’s current modus operandi of handling alcohol-related emergencies, Neumeister said, “We take it on a case by case basis. It’s really going to depend on the details. Our paramount concern is the student’s safety.”
He stated that the Office of Judicial Affairs will likely dish out some sort of disciplinary response, most likely a type of probation, but these measures are generally coupled with wellness matters, such as having the student meet with specialists at University Health Services. Also, if the student is younger than 21 years of age, the office might also contact the family to establish a support network for him. Most of the time, Neumeister explained, the Office of Judicial Affairs doesn’t even know who the friends are, and he strongly recommends that 911 be called in emergencies because the safety of the student is the chief concern.
There is no doubt that the Office of Judicial Affairs cares about the safety of Northwestern students. It does more than just carry out judicial proceedings; it genuinely cares about student safety on campus. The safety of the student, though, is much better insured through an official amnesty policy than no policy at all. If there is a foundation of trust between students and the university, students will feel safe about contacting authorities for help.
On the other hand, a relationship based on fear, knowing that there’s a chance that they could get in serious trouble with the university, might deter students from acting quickly in emergencies.
That’s not to say that without such a program, students would need to think at length before seeking professional help. Most students would probably (hopefully) alert the authorities without worrying about their own records. Still, student immunity would be highly effective in lowering the occurrences of preventable tragedies because there is the guarantee of immunity.
A study of Cornell’s policy proves the necessity of alcohol programs on campuses. Since the university implemented medical amnesty in 2002, the school has found “an increase in both calls to the emergency medical services (EMS) and hospital emergency room visits of acute alcohol intoxication with nonconcurrent increase in the amount of drinking on campus.” Cornell students get the help they need right when they need it due to their effective policies regarding alcohol. There is no fear and no hesitation for the students to call for help. This is precisely why we should have our own policy.
Equally important as protecting students is curbing the dangerous drinking habits that make medical amnesty a necessity. Because the program is coupled with mandatory counseling, alcohol-awareness sessions and rehabilitation programs, students who demonstrated dangerous behavior with alcohol can re-evaluate their actions and develop safer drinking habits. This policy, in effect, can serve as an avenue of learning about alcohol safety for students.
Though our major concern should be trying to curb unsafe drinking on college campuses, we need a formalized medical amnesty policy to guarantee the safety of students while we try to make this big change. Through amnesty, not only may a student live beyond a night of excessive drinking, he will also have the opportunity to learn in counseling and rehabilitation programs how to handle alcohol in a much safer way. Looking both at the short and long run, medical amnesty, though not the solution to everything, can be highly effective in implementing the change we need to see.