New medical amnesty policy debated among students
Students express mixed feelings on policy that eliminates the conduct process when medical help is sought for alcohol intoxication.
Rachel Hecker
Issue date: 2/9/10 Section: News
2/9/10-Correction: In the print edition, it was incorrectly stated that students who were not on the Denison insurance plan would not be allowed to take advantage of this policy. All students, regardless of their insurance policy, can use the medical amnesty policy.
The office of community rights and standards has issued a new medical amnesty policy.
This new policy states that the office of community rights and standards will not pursue conduct actions against those students who seek medical attention due to intoxication.
Vice president for student affairs Sam Thios discussed this newly implemented policy that was designed to help encourage students to seek medical attention in cases of severe intoxication or alcohol poisoning at a presentation held last Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Under the new medical amnesty policy, those students who come forward seeking medical attention will not have conduct sanctions brought against them, but the policy states that they will be required to "meet with a member of the Student Affairs staff who may issue educational requirements such as alcohol education, counseling and/or an alcohol and substance abuse assessment." Failure to complete any assignments or recommendations will result in conduct action.
"This policy is not an alcohol policy, it is a health and safety policy," Thios said. "If a situation arises where a student appears to be in need of immediate medical attention, we did not want anyone worrying about possible conduct sanctions and thus delay seeking medical attention."
Questions are already being raised regarding this new form of disciplinary action.
Sophomore physics major Adam Lebovitz commented that this policy "seems like a double edged sword. If someone is trying to help themselves, then it seems backwards that they are then forced to go through alcohol education. I think that students will most likely go and seek help in the severest of cases, but the alcohol education repercussions will only deter students from doing so in those less severe cases."
The office of community rights and standards has issued a new medical amnesty policy.
This new policy states that the office of community rights and standards will not pursue conduct actions against those students who seek medical attention due to intoxication.
Vice president for student affairs Sam Thios discussed this newly implemented policy that was designed to help encourage students to seek medical attention in cases of severe intoxication or alcohol poisoning at a presentation held last Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Under the new medical amnesty policy, those students who come forward seeking medical attention will not have conduct sanctions brought against them, but the policy states that they will be required to "meet with a member of the Student Affairs staff who may issue educational requirements such as alcohol education, counseling and/or an alcohol and substance abuse assessment." Failure to complete any assignments or recommendations will result in conduct action.
"This policy is not an alcohol policy, it is a health and safety policy," Thios said. "If a situation arises where a student appears to be in need of immediate medical attention, we did not want anyone worrying about possible conduct sanctions and thus delay seeking medical attention."
Questions are already being raised regarding this new form of disciplinary action.
Sophomore physics major Adam Lebovitz commented that this policy "seems like a double edged sword. If someone is trying to help themselves, then it seems backwards that they are then forced to go through alcohol education. I think that students will most likely go and seek help in the severest of cases, but the alcohol education repercussions will only deter students from doing so in those less severe cases."
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