SMOKERS BAND TOGETHER

Some students want to puff, puff - but others are opting to pass on
the UT Chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy.

Although the group won't be an official organization at UT until
mid-summer, about a dozen students met on Monday to discuss UT's
marijuana policy.

"We're not asking for anything extreme like legalization now," said
President of the UT Chapter of SSDP Chris Wallace, a freshman majoring
in film. "All we're asking for is it to be equal with alcohol because
it's a standard."

According to Wallis, marijuana is a lot less harmful than
alcohol.

"It's treated like a hard drug," he said. "Marijuana does not
contribute to overdose deaths. Marijuana does not contribute to family
health problems. Marijuana does not contribute to domestic violence."

Yet, some students think joining the group would put them on "the
university's hit list," as one student said at the meeting.

"I'm a little nervous because if I stayed in a dorm, they might keep
an eye on me," said Derek Dadich, a freshman majoring in education.

Dadich added that he thinks he'll still join the group because it's a
worthy cause.

"We're not a bunch of potheads sitting around talking about weed,"
said Luis Morales, vice president of the UT Chapter of SSDP and a
sophomore majoring in education. "What we want is a fair and balanced
policy."

According to UT's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Policy Statement, the
university prohibits illegal use of alcohol and drugs, in accordance
with federal, state and local laws.

In the Student Handbook distributed to all students, the Code of
Conduct's section about drug policy in residence halls states,
"Students in violation of the [drug] policy will be required to attend
and pay for an assessment at a drug abuse agency. Depending on the
results of the assessment, the student may be subject to attend and
pay for a Drug Awareness program, and/or intense drug treatment. In
addition, violators are subject to termination of their housing contract."

The alcohol policy section, for residence halls, of the Code of
Conduct in the Student Handbook states, "A student in violation of the
alcohol policy is subject to attendance at an alcohol education
program and associated program costs. Additional violations subject
the student to parental notification, alcohol assessment, attendance
at an educational awareness program, and/ or an intensive alcohol
treatment with all associated program costs. Repeat violators are
subject to termination of their housing contract."