Pubdate: Fri, 01 Sep 2006
Source: Red and Black, The (U of Georgia, GA Edu)
Copyright: 2006 The Red and Black Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact: http://apps.ugatoday.com/forms/letter.php
Website: http://www.redandblack.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2800
Author: Sara Pauff
Cited: Students for Sensible Drug Policy http://www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?219 (Students for Sensible Drug Policy)

STUDENTS GIVE INPUT FOR NEW AMNESTY POLICY

University Questions Idea's Validity

University officials and students could get some help from a 
newly-formed student organization in drafting a medical amnesty 
policy for alcohol-related illnesses.

Michael Stramiello, a graduate student from Macon, is forming a local 
chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy in response to the 
Student Government Association's call for a medical amnesty policy 
for students seeking help after drinking too much.

The chapter will be part of an international grassroots organization 
based in Washington, D.C., that advocates measures and policies to 
help those who develop drug and alcohol problems.

"The amnesty issue was a huge catalyst for the formation of the 
group," Stramiello said. "There is a need for an amnesty policy right 
now to save lives."

Though Stramiello said he has not contacted SGA yet, he said his 
organization wants to gather student support for SGA's efforts. It 
will be hosting its first meeting later in the month.

SGA President Jamie Peper said she had been contacted by a national 
representative of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and was waiting 
on an e-mailed request for more information.

"It's just really cool that they are willing to allocate resources to 
us," she said.

Whatever the final policy looks like, underage students given amnesty 
would not be subject to University punishment for drinking.

If enacted, a medical amnesty policy does not prevent action by state 
and local authorities.

Though the committee looking at amnesty policies has been meeting all 
summer, Assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs Eric 
Atkinson said they are still in the formative stage of creating a 
policy. He said they are discussing if the University even needs an 
amnesty policy.

"We're still at 30,000 feet on this," said Atkinson, who looked at 
policies at Cornell University, Vanderbilt University, Emory 
University, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.

He said there is no timeline on when a proposed policy would be 
finished and ready to submit to University Council for a vote.

Under the University's current drug and alcohol policy, after one 
alcohol-related offense, a student must enroll in an alcohol 
awareness class and is put on probation for the remainder of the 
current semester and the next two semesters.

Upon a second alcohol-related offense while on probation, a student 
is suspended for the current semester and one subsequent semester.

Representatives from SGA, Student Affairs, University Police, 
University Housing and Judicial Programs all drafted their own 
versions of an amnesty policy and brought to the committee's August 
meeting, Peper said.

"Someone from the police is going to have a different perspective 
than someone from student government," Atkinson said.

Peper said the main difference between the proposals was who would get amnesty.

There was debate about whether amnesty should extend to an underage 
friend seeking help for another intoxicated student, Peper said.

Peper said they also discussed how many times a student could claim 
amnesty. SGA's draft of the policy defines "habitual" use as two 
medical amnesty incidents.

"We're not promoting this to be used as sanctuary," Peper said.

Though he did not want to comment on what he wrote in his draft, 
University police chief Jimmy Williamson agreed.

"We should make sure there are no loopholes," he said.

Atkinson took the suggestions from each committee member and is 
compiling them into one document that will be discussed at the next 
meeting on Sept. 6.

[sidebar]

DRUG POLICY GROUP

What: The first meeting of the local chapter of Students for a 
Sensible Drug Policy

Where: Tate Plaza

When: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 22

For more information: Contact Michael Stramiello. Information on the 
national organization is available at www.ssdp.org. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake