UNIVERSITY PLEDGES TO COMBAT CAMPUS DRUG USE

Harvard University is vowing to draft student leaders to help snuff
out drug abuse in its ivy halls and tighten security after authorities
say a graduating senior has been tied to this week's
marijuana-and-murder shocker.

That senior, authorities said, gave her dorm pass card to an accused
killer and set up a pot buy with the drug-dealing murder victim. Yet,
no charges have been filed against her.

Harvard Dean Evelynn Hammonds said in a statement sent to the Herald
last night that despite a drop in crime, this week's murder has rocked
the crimson campus.

"I intend to work with student leaders and others to address the
nature and risks of illicit drug use on campus," she said.

Students yesterday said they're still stunned by the Monday afternoon
ambush.

"It's frightening that that kind of thing can happen at Harvard," said
sophomore Penelope Smith, 20, who was moving out yesterday.

Laurel Gabard-Durnam, 20, a junior, was just 10 feet from the shooting
at Kirkland House when she saw three men flee the scene.

"I was pretty shocked," said Gabard-Durnam.

Police said [name redacted], 21, of Cambridge was murdered Monday by
[name redacted], 20, of New York City over about a pound of pot
and $900 in cash.

National drug experts said the dark side of the drug culture is all
too common on campus. Nationwide, 36.6 percent of undergraduates have
used an illicit drug at least once, according to a National Center on
Addiction study.

"There's an explosion of pot and OxyContin," said consultant Mike
Green, an expert on collegiate drug and alcohol abuse.

"It's worse than ever before," added Brookline's Dr. Punymurtula
Kishore, an expert on addiction.

"There's no shame when it comes to using some powerful narcotics," he
added.