Every year, 1,800 college students die in accidents (off the road) involving alcohol. And what are schools doing to combat this rising problem? Some schools are "cracking down" on underage drinking, claiming that enforcing existing laws is all that needs to be done to fix the solution. However, some college presidents and administrations have taken a more thoughtful approach to ensuring their students stay safe: Medical Amnesty.
Medical amnesty policies grant students who call emergency service (campus police, EMTs, etc) for a medical emergency where people were consuming alcohol (whether that led to the emergency or not) and are under 21 immunity from punishment, in an effort to ensure a student never goes without calling for help.
The majority of college students report being less likely to call for help because of a fear of getting in trouble. Primary research we did when I was chair of the Public Health & Safety at Hampshire College (which contributed to eventual adoption of a medical amnesty policy at Hampshire) did show that students were significantly less likely to call for help if alcohol (or illegal drugs) are involved.
A recent story from ABC has more about this, please take a moment to read the story below!
Medical amnesty policies grant students who call emergency service (campus police, EMTs, etc) for a medical emergency where people were consuming alcohol (whether that led to the emergency or not) and are under 21 immunity from punishment, in an effort to ensure a student never goes without calling for help.
The majority of college students report being less likely to call for help because of a fear of getting in trouble. Primary research we did when I was chair of the Public Health & Safety at Hampshire College (which contributed to eventual adoption of a medical amnesty policy at Hampshire) did show that students were significantly less likely to call for help if alcohol (or illegal drugs) are involved.
A recent story from ABC has more about this, please take a moment to read the story below!
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