GROUP HOPES TO PASS GOOD SAMARITAN POLICY AT COLLEGE

Students who are intoxicated and need medical aid will be able to
receive help without getting in trouble with the law if the Good
Samaritan policy is passed.

Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, a group which allows students to
share their opinions and ideas regarding drugs in the United States,
will meet with Public Safety, Judicial Affairs, Health Services and
the Student Government Association at 11 a.m. today in Campus Center
to present their draft of the Good Samaritan policy.

Ideally, the policy would grant amnesty to all people involved in the
situation: the person who called Public Safety and the person in need
of medical attention.

Terri Stewart, director of Public Safety, said the meeting will be a
good place to evaluate the pros and cons of the Good Samaritan policy.

"Other college campuses do have this program, so we need to see how
it fits with our community," she said.

Michael Leary, assistant director Judicial Affairs, said he thinks
the group's proposal has merit to it, but he thinks it will take a
bit for the proposal to be passed.

SGA President and senior Jeff Goodwin said SSDP has been meeting with
an SGA senator for the past few weeks to draft its Good Samaritan Policy.

SSDP President and senior Gretchen Duerr founded the college's
chapter of SSDP after transferring from SUNY-New Paltz, where she was
the president of its chapter of SSDP.

"I was surprised that Ithaca didn't already have a chapter," Duerr
said. "I decided they really needed one."

Duerr said SSDP does not condone the use of any type of drug but does
plan to inform students about what to do after "just saying no" fails.

Sophomore Katie Stein, secretary of SSDP, said she hopes passing the
Good Samaritan policy will bring a positive change to the campus about drugs.

"It's stupid that kids have to question whether or not to call for
help and if you're going to be helped or harassed," she said.

At Cornell University, intoxicated students have been protected under
the Medical Amnesty Protocol -- similar to the Good Samaritan policy
- -- since 2006, according to its Web site. The Medical Amnesty
Protocol applies only to the Cornell campus, though local police
practice the policy so students are not afraid to ask for help. The
policy aims to increase the likelihood of students calling for
medical assistance in an alcohol-related emergency.

Stein said the amount of calls to Cornell's public safety office
doubled while the amount of alcohol consumed remained the same
compared to before and after the policy was passed.

"This is a very good example of how much this [Good Samaritan policy]
is actually needed," Stein said.

SSDP Vice President and sophomore Evan Nison, said the group
comprised of about 20 students -- is willing to compromise on whether
the person in need of medical attention should receive amnesty or
only the person calling for help.

"We're going to talk to them about the details and then hopefully see
who will support us to help pass the policy," Nison said.

Sophomore Ben Malakoff said he thinks passing these policies will
help bring publicity to SSDP and its beliefs.

"The Good Samaritan project that we have undertaken is a very good
way to get a footing" Malakoff said.

Besides hoping to pass the Good Samaritan policy, the group is
planning other events as well. A medical marijuana seminar is planned
for the upcoming semester, and SSDP will be bringing in speakers from
New Jersey and Pennsylvania, both of which are working on medical
marijuana laws. The speakers will talk about how to get involved with
passing medical marijuana laws in the state.

Duerr said she plans to educate members for half of the weekly
meetings this semester. She said she hopes by educating students,
they will be more inspired to support SSDP's causes. The other half
of their meetings, which are held at 9 p.m. Tuesdays in Williams Room
222, will be dedicated to current events and what the college's
chapter of SSDP is working on around campus.

Outside of Ithaca, the international organization of SSDP sponsors
conferences throughout the country. At the conferences members of
chapters meet to network, strategize and learn about advances in drug
policy reform. This November, Duerr plans to attend the International
Drug Policy Alliance Conference in Albuquerque, N.M.

"It's a really great place for networking," Duerr said.

In the long term, SSDP hopes to remove the taboo and stigma about drugs.

"I hope that SSDP helps dispel the widely held myths about drugs in
general, and I hope that we can bring positive change in how the
campus handles incidents with students involving illegal substances,"
Malakoff said.