STUDENTS SHOULD ATTEND 'SPICE' PUBLIC HEARING

At Tuesday night's city council meeting, City Councilor Ann Hunt,
D-District 3, blocked a motion for a second vote on the spice ban
ordinance, which was necessary to pass the ordinance at the meeting.
Hunt said she voted in this manner because she felt public education
about the drug was necessary and wanted the council to hold a future
public hearing. Purdue students should take advantage of this
opportunity and show up for the public hearing at the next city
council meeting on Oct. 4.

As was made clear at Tuesday night's city council meeting, the
ordinance is geared toward the student population. Tippecanoe County
prosecutor Patrick Harrington said the drug is not used by older,
lifelong marijuana users. Instead, he said, the drug is common among
students, and, thus, the ordinance is geared toward students.

If Harrington's declaration is true, then those who use the drug would
do well to learn about the drug between now and the final vote.

City Councilor John Hoggatt, D-District 1, co-sponsored the bill. He
recently received his Ph.D. from Purdue, and some of his research
involved testing the effects of chemical contained in the spice on lab
rats. One of the chemicals he found in the drug was methanol, which is
sometimes used to fuel racing cars. Most students who use the drug
likely do not understand the health effects of lighting and inhaling
these chemicals.

Too often, the city council votes on ordinances that effect the
student population and no one shows up to represent student interests.
At last night's meeting, the only college students who showed up were
reporters sitting in the back row. While the spice ban will likely be
passed whether students show up, the council would certainly benefit
by hearing from the large student population in West Lafayette at its
next meeting.