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.

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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.