Pubdate: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 Source: Kansas State Collegian (KS Edu) Contact: 2003 Kansas State Collegian Website: http://kstatecollegian.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2850 Authors: Tristan Hinderliter and Stephani Edington Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) DRUGS IN THE DORMS Residents Use Substances Despite Hall Policy One K-State student who lives in the residence halls keeps a hidden cigar box with various drug paraphernalia in it. Along with a baggie of marijuana and a small green and black pipe, the box contains what appears to be something homemade. "That there is a 'doob tube,'" the student explains. "It is a toilet paper roll stuffed with dryer sheets. You blow smoke through it and it absorbs the smell, and the smell of dryer sheets comes out the other end." The student, who wished to be identified by the false name of Jack, is not alone in using drugs in the residence halls. Elizabeth, a former occupant of the residence halls, also smoked marijuana in her room. She, too, referred to her "doob tube" when explaining how she got away with it. "We put a towel under the door and cracked a window. We only did it for the first couple of weeks of school, though," she said. "People started complaining about the smell." Officials are aware of the situation. Capt. Robert Mellgren of K-State Police said drug use in the residence halls might happen, but it doesn't seem to be an overwhelming problem. "We rely on self-patrol from the residence hall directors," he said. "We all know drugs are there, but right now it appears not to be a problem." When it comes to dealing with residents caught with illegal substances, procedures are followed, just as would be done in any other type of residence setting, Mellgren said. Residents have the right to refuse a search, and police have the right to go out and get a search warrant, he said. "We will do what we need to do and follow the law," Mellgren said. Jack said marijuana is the only drug he has ever used. On average, he smokes in his room three times a week, sometimes with guys from his floor and sometimes with friends from off-campus, he said. "There's not any spectacular stories about getting high in the dorms," he said. "We just wait until fairly late, and be careful about the smell when we smoke, and then sit around and watch movies and eat." Jack has recently tried to grow marijuana himself, cultivating two seeds on a small plastic plate hidden behind his computer. "That one's sprouting right there," he said, pointing. "I don't know, though -- they get huge. I don't think we'll be able to grow them in here. I'll grow them when I go back home this summer." Marijuana should be legalized, Jack said, and it should be up to the individual how much he or she uses. "Just like alcohol, you know -- there's alcoholics, but they're not going to make it illegal because of them to ruin it for everyone else who drinks responsibly," he said. For now, however, marijuana remains illegal, and Jack and other users have to face the consequences if they are caught. Sarah Smith, freshman in elementary education, said drug use in the residence halls is wrong. "It's not the smartest thing a person can do, but if they are going to do it, they shouldn't do it in the dorms," she said. "People shouldn't be exposed to it if they don't want to. "I have never had a run-in with anyone where it was totally obvious, but I have heard that there are floors where it reeks," Smith said. "I haven't heard anything about other drugs like cocaine. I guess they are less obvious, so it's not as likely you'll get caught." Eric Neilson, fifth-floor Marlatt Hall staff assistant and senior in advertising, said random searches are not allowed in the residence halls. He said staff members on duty do two sets of rounds every night. "If you're on rounds and you smell something like pot, or anything like that, you'll go ahead and check that out," he said. "If you're sure that's what it is, the first thing we do is contact our director of the hall. He's been trained in it, and he knows what it smells like. If it's a strong enough smell to where it'll still be there when the cops show up, we call the cops." Neilson said he couldn't talk about any specific drug incidents in the residence hall. The K-State Police respond to calls from the residence halls, said Lt. Richard Herrman, campus police patrol commander. The Riley County Police Department does have jurisdiction over the residence halls, but campus police respond because the campus is their primary responsibility, he said. Campus police officers are commissioned law enforcement officers and have the authority to make arrests. Herrman said the only reason campus police officers would call the RCPD would be if the problem were very large. Otherwise, they handle drug situations in the residence halls themselves. Other drugs have been found, but marijuana is the most prevalent, Herrman said. "Because of its odor, staff can easily pick up on marijuana," he said. "But you could be sitting in your room doing a line of cocaine, and there is no way we would ever know about it unless someone witnessed you doing it and decided to notify us." As far as which dorms have problems, Lt. Herrman said he couldn't say that one specifically is a problem area. "The all-male or coed halls are the ones that we get the most calls on, as opposed to all-female halls," he said. There is also no age trend, Herrman said. "It affects any age group in the residence halls -- not just freshmen," he said. Campus police have a zero-tolerance policy on drugs in the residence halls, Herrman said. "We don't issue warnings for any illegal substances. When we are alerted, we do an investigation, and, if necessary, make arrests," he said. "Then, we proceed through the court system." Brenda Jordan, assistant Riley County attorney, said Riley County does not take drug use lightly. With marijuana, the first offense is a misdemeanor and the second is a felony, she said. Punishment is up to one year in jail and up to $2,500 in fines plus court costs and fees and, if applicable, attorney fees. If there are no extenuating circumstances, the offender will face 30 days of jail time, $250 in fines, $25 in probation costs, $116 in court costs, a possible $125 evaluation fee and, if the Kansas Bureau of Investigation tests the substance, at least $400 in testing fees, she said. "Intent to distribute charges have higher fines, more prosecution and more jail time," she said. Other drugs, like methamphetamines or cocaine, have different consequences, Jordan said. "The charge is automatically a felony," she said. "The offender will go to prison instead of jail, and the court costs are more." Derek Jackson, assistant director of Housing and Dining Services, said a drug arrest can break the resident's contract with Housing and Dining, but doesn't always. He said it's at the discretion of the department. "We look at what your intent was," Jackson said. "We're concerned about the environment you're contributing to. As a resident, we're interested in knowing if you're a risk to yourself or others, and how great that risk is." Jackson said that sometimes the department modifies a contract, which means it moves a student to a new residence hall. "Once the department determines that they're not a severe risk to others around them, we try to help them begin brand-new," he said. "When we re-establish them someplace else without a lot of stigma hanging over them, they're able to begin anew and make different friends." This approach has been very successful, with no repeat offenders, Jackson said. Housing and Dining does not have its own drug rehabilitation program. Instead, officials refer students to university resources such as University Counseling Services, the Family Center and the Dean of Student Life office, he said. Jackson said 1997 was his first year in his current role, and that when he came in, the department put more focus on preventing drug use. "We thought it was becoming more commonplace, so we took a harder stance on it," he said. Still, despite the risks, Jack and others like him choose to spend their time using drugs in the halls for their own reasons. "Recreation or relaxation," Jack said. "It's not a dependency. I don't feel like I need to or have to -- it's just -- I don't know. I'll have to think about that one, and then answer it for myself." - ---------------------------------- Arrests Drug arrests in the residence halls by year: 1997: 0 1998: 3 1999: 14 2000: 11 2001: 8 2002: 9 Source: Information provided by K-State Police. Figures before 1997 not available. These figures only reflect residents who were actually arrested in the residence halls, not those residents who were arrested for drugs off-campus. - --------------------------------------------------------- Drug use The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey 2000 surveyed all college campuses. (the first number is the percentage of students who had used in the last year, the second is the percentage who had used in the last 30 days) Tobacco 47 percent, 35.8 percent Alcohol 84.1 percent , 72.1 percent Marijuana 33.6 percent, 20.0 percent Cocaine 5.1 percent, 2.1 percent Amphetamine 7.6 percent, 3.8 percent Sedatives 4.1 percent, 1.9 percent Hallucinogens 6.6 percent, 2.0 percent Opiates 1.5 percent, 2.7 percent Inhalants 1.9 percent, 0.8 percent Designer Drugs 9.1 percent, 3.7 percent Steroids 0.8 percent, 0.6 percent Other 2.5 percent, 1.1 percent The study was conducted at random times during the year by randomly selected students comprised (in percentages) of 29.4 freshmen, 24.7 sophomores, 22.2 juniors, 20.6 seniors, 0.4 not seeking a degree and 0.7 other. Of those students, 39.6 were male, and 60.4 were female; 59.0 were age 20 and under, and 41.0 were 21 and older; 46.8 lived on-campus, and 53.2 lived off-campus. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager