The philosophy of harm reduction that forms the basis of the Good Samaritan policy I hope to enact through the University Senate this year is straightforward. This excerpt from the website of the nonprofit organization Harm Reduction Coalition (www.harmreduction.org) summarizes the guiding principle quite well: "[A public policy approach of harm reduction] accepts, for better and for worse, that licit and illicit drug use is part of our world and chooses to work to minimize its harmful effects rather than simply ignore or condemn them." This acceptance does not indicate "giving up" on the drug problem but taking a positive and effective approach to solving it. [continues 540 words]
I applaud the community members who spoke out against proposed student drug testing as the solution to higher reported rates of substance use at Yoncalla. Expensive and ineffective urinalysis tests alienate students by sending them the message that adults (parents and administrators alike) do not trust them to take responsibility for their actions on their own, and they need to be monitored. The funds that would be allotted for this program need to be used to address the larger, more deeply ingrained issue of why students are using drugs at such a high rate. Instead, drug testing is addressing only a symptom and not the true problem of the whole disease of deviant behavior. Anastacia Cosner University of Maryland, College Park, Md. President, Students for Sensible Drug Policy [end]
Dear Editor, In the article "Administrators try to keep school safe", there were apparent inconsistencies in the logic behind Camden County High School's tightening of their security on campus to keep students out of danger. All students have a right to feel safe and comfortable in their learning environment. The administration reserves the right to randomly drug test any student suspected of drug use, and a refusal to submit to such a test would be perceived as an admission of guilt. This is a dangerous violation of student privacy and independence. Especially in the case of marijuana, drug tests do not accurately measure impairment, and have been proven to be inconsistent, often times resulting in false positive results. The active chemical in marijuana, THC, can remain in one's system up to 45 days after exposure. While "harder drugs" (such as cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and other commonly abused prescription drugs) have average detection times of two to five days. [continues 170 words]
Wednesday's announcement that the Department of Resident Life will not implement the proposed change in residence hall rules for marijuana possession is profoundly disappointing. It would allow lenience in cases of students caught in possession of marijuana so they would not automatically have their housing terminated. This is not a compromise of student democratic power that Students for Sensible Drug Policy is willing to accept, and neither should the Residence Halls Association, the University Senate or the Student Government Association. [continues 535 words]
