CHANGING PERSPECTIVE: STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY

President of the Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, Kris
Reinertson, chuckles to himself when awkwardly asked about the common
misconceptions of the club he founded three years ago.

There are no dreadlocks or Rasta colors; he is neat and shaven with a
clean white smile and a disarming demeanor.

Wearing a white polo with blue stripes at Squires, he speaks
concisely while sparingly enjoying a spinach and broccoli stuffed pizza.

Despite the associations made with his group about drugs,
Reitnerson's main focus is in the codes of Virginia Tech.

"It's all about the policy," he said.

Meeting the first Wednesday of every month, the organization's aim is
to change the drug- and alcohol-related policies at Tech to do more
than seemingly punish the offender. It aims to repeal some of the
qualities of zero tolerance, such as immediate expulsion.

"We're treating drug users like criminals instead of having a
standpoint that it's a public health issue, not a criminal issue,"
said Sandra Bloom, a senior English major who has been a member of
the organization since last year and helps with public relations.

With the new school year here, the club has been busy planning events
to get its message out to the rest of the student body.

One of the SSDP's first upcoming events is hosting guest speaker
Howard Woolridge at Squires on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

A former policeman, Woolridge is a member of the Law Enforcement
Against Prohibition organization and travels around the lecture
circuit speaking out against the war on drugs.

"It's about issues far greater than just our campus policy," Bloom
said. "Looking into things like racial discrimination, with the way
the drug war is carried and how it's more or less impossible to
enforce this. In a way, this campus policy is a microcosm to what's
going on in the entire country."

Another large upcoming event for the club is the biannual review of
Tech's drug policies. Due at the end of the semester, it is part of
the Drug- Free Workplace and Communities Act. The law mandates any
institute of higher learning to review its policies every two years.

"This is the year it lands on, and that's why we're so trying to get
the ball rolling this semester," said secretary of the SSDP Bryce
Abbott about the review.

A double major in history and psychology, Abbott joined the
organization last year and is now a very active member.

The club stands for a two-part platform that might come closer to a
reality by the end of the semester. The first part of their reform is
called the "Good Samaritan" policy that, in moments of medical
crisis, would give students amnesty from Tech's codes of conduct.

The club feels that students in a situation such as an overdose might
second guess helping someone because current policies might punish
anyone related or present at the incident.

"That puts you in a position where you are like, 'Well, should I call
for help or should I not because of the consequences of the
actions,'" Abbott said. "And so what the medical amnesty would do is
it would eliminate the code of conduct."

Of course, these codes of conduct only relate to the university and
students are not guaranteed a free pass from law enforcement.

"If the police got involved and charged you with it, it doesn't deal
with that," Abbott said about the Good Samaritan policy. "It's
something totally different. Ours is just university policy."

Instead of punishing the student by suspending him or her for six
months to a full year, the offender would submit to an evaluation by
a trained counselor to see whether the student is suffering from a
serious dependency.

This is the other half of their platform known as the First Diversion
Platform, which would require that the counselor evaluate whether the
student is using within moderation or requires a more intense brand of help.

"People with serious drug problems don't need punishment, they need
help," Bloom said about the First Diversion Platform.

Reinertson believes that students whose use is deemed more moderate
should engage in peer-based discussion.

"There's a group on campus called ADAPT, Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Prevention Team," Reinertson said. "And I haven't spoken with them
yet but I will, and basically students join this group to council
other students. So if the student doesn't have immediate dangers and
the counselor doesn't even think that they need to continue
counseling with the psychiatrist, they can be referred to see these
students for counseling."

Those deemed to have a drug issue, on the other hand, could be
referred to an off-campus rehabilitation center for treatment, and
failure to attend such treatments would result in disciplinary
action. Although these proposals may seem radical, several other
schools have introduced such procedures.

"Many other universities already have this in place, that for at
least first time offenses, students go to a counselor," Reinertson said.

In preparation for the impending review, the club will sit down with
administrators and counselors this week to talk about the changes the
club has drawn up. It is just one part of the change that SSDP strides for.

"What Students for a Sensible Drug Policy is really doing is really a
grassroots efforts of students trying to make a difference," he said.

With so much coming up, Reinertson believes that reform lies in the
very near future for Virginia Tech.

"This semester I really feel like it's picking up a lot of
potential," Reinertson said. "We have the review coming up; it's due
at the end of the semester, so I feel like if there's any time for
changes to be made to our drug policy, it's this semester."