ADMINISTRATION: DRUG USE NOT PREVALENT AT GONZAGA

While underage alcohol use is no secret at Gonzaga, illegal drug use
is often less discussed.

However, administrators say drug usage is a growing
concern.

"I would say, of our conduct cases, between 5 and 10 percent may have
some association with drugs," Dean of Students for Judicial Affairs
Kassi Kain said. "Whether it's bystander and they were there, or maybe
it's off campus. That would include marijuana, prescription drugs used
inappropriately and then more hard-core drugs. Cocaine, LSD, those
things, are very minimal, but we've seen an increase especially this
year."

She acknowledged that marijuana is the most common drug used at
Gonzaga.

"Part of that is from conversations of legalizing marijuana across the
country. And then the other part of that is people having medical
marijuana cards and thinking that they can use them here, even though
they can't. If a student had a medical need and it was prescribed we
would ask them to use the DREAM office," Kain said.

Drug use has noticeably gone up over the past four years, according to
the Student Life office. Kain estimated that four years ago,
approximately 13 cases were documented. This year there have been more
than 30.

Kain said students are not always just caught using drugs by
CAMPO.Often they are turned in by other students or RAs.

If a student is found to be using an illegal drug, several factors
affect the punishment dealt to the student.

"We do not have a zero tolerance policy. ... It would be really easy
to say we have a zero tolerance policy; it's not that we don't. If
[students] were dealing drugs, if they had provided drugs or just
sharing with a friend, that falls under a violation that is more
serious with us," Kain said.

If they are found to be dealing, the school usually imposes an interim
suspension followed by a hearing.

"Our general approach is that they are usually put on probation, they
usually have to undergo a drug and alcohol assessment that are linked,
and then we expect them to follow the recommendations of the clinics
we use," Kain said.

If students do not comply with the school or claim they were not using
drugs, the university will promptly ask that student to do a drug test.

"We try and figure out if a student can stay in school and succeed
while they are in outpatient. Rarely, but sometimes, inpatient is
recommended," Kain said.

Typically those students withdraw and get the help they need. After
receiving help, they are then eligible to come back, with
restrictions.

The Student Wellness Resource Center has conducted four random
anonymous, self-reported surveys in the past 10 concerning drugs.

Students were asked about alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and other
drugs combined.

Student Wellness Director Karen Contardo has the results of the
surveys.

"The findings suggest that 64.3 percent of GU students have never used
any [drugs] and 67.5 percent have never used marijuana. This is
consistent with national findings reporting 64.2 percent never using
other drugs combined, and 63.2 percent never using marijuana,"
Contardo said in an e-mail.

"The data then suggests that 85.6 percent of Gonzaga students are not
regular drug users and 81.7 percent of our students are not regular
marijuana smokers. Although the perception may be different, this is
what the data is telling us," Contardo said.

Though drug usage may be rising, alcohol is still more widely
used.

"There is less emphasis placed on drug awareness than alcohol
awareness because alcohol is used by more students and used more
frequently according to all the data we have received from students.
This office has not been asked to provide more drug awareness and the
data suggests that more students need to become aware that alcohol is
a drug, the most widely chosen drug to use and how alcohol affects
cognition, sleep and the potential for other risky behavior," Contardo
said.

Kain acknowledges drug abuse exists on campus. Despite that, she looks
for ways to teach students to learn from this.

"If it's experimental and they're just trying, which is predominantly
what we have, we're going to address it with probation," Kain said.
"We try and take the more educational approach and that falls under
our Jesuit values of figuring out who you are in the world and
figuring out what's appropriate in a community."