Alcohol transport policy altered

Students receiving a second medical transport due to alcohol consumption will now be in violation of the Student Conduct Code and may be subject to judicial charges, according to Associate Dean of Students Sara Waldron.

Previously, alcohol-related transports did not violate the conduct code.

Breaking down the stats Each year, thousands of students across the country, and many at AU, find themselves in trouble due to alcohol abuse. Many face worse punishments than arrest or judicial review. In 2005, there were 284 on-campus liquor law violations at AU, including 272 dorm violations. There were 29 off-campus violations as well. 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die yearly from unintentional alcohol-related injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. About 5 percent of four-year college students are involved with the police or campus security as a result of their drinking. Source: Collegedrinkingprevention.gov and the AU Department of Public Safety's Web site

The new policy, which went into effect this semester, came in response to a rising number of repeat transports. There were 37 transports last year, with three students transported more than once, Waldron said.

Nationally, students are drinking to get drunk, imbibing eight to 10 drinks, including hard liquor, in a short amount of time. Such behavior is a risk to students' health and safety and can interfere with academics and relationships, she said.

Students with multiple transports often are involved in other judicial cases, Waldron said. The new consequences, which include mandatory evaluation for drug and alcohol risks with Suburban Hospital, are meant to provide resources and aid to these high-risk students, she added.

A freshman who lives in Letts Hall and declined to be identified said the new policy would not affect the majority of students' drinking choices. A student on her floor is infamous for undergoing three transports last semester, the freshman said.

"He certainly won't learn," she said. "If you're going to drink, you're going to drink anyways, no matter what the consequences."

The freshman said she hopes the rising number of transports is "because their friends care that they're being intoxicated to a dangerous state" and getting them help, rather than because of an overall increase in drinking habits.

Adam Pimentel, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he thought the new policy might deter students from asking for medical help if they've been drinking too much.

"Its admirable to want people to get help, but I think it's a mistake to put it on your record," he said.

The policy will make students be more cautious about their level of alcohol consumption, said Cindy Borja, a junior in the School of International Service.

AU's alcohol transport policy is more lenient than the current policy in place at George Washington University. At GW, students can be suspended for a year after their second transport.

AU officials have not considered a similar policy, according to Waldron.

AU's policy is too lenient to deter students from drinking, said Kevin Eng, a sophomore in the School of Communication. Although some students may have a serious drinking problem, others simply "go overboard" and then do the same thing the next weekend, Eng said.