Some area colleges are following informal “good Samaritan” policies that protect severely intoxicated students and their classmates who call authorities for help.
The policies are designed to encourage students to seek help without fear of prosecution for underage drinking when they think classmates are in danger of alcohol poisoning or other drinking-related problems.
The University of Maryland has no official policies, but campus police say they use discretion when handling such a call.
“We do not have a history of arrest for people who call for alcohol poisoning,” said Paul Dillon, a campus public safety spokesman.
Making the policy official would be difficult, in part because campus rules cannot supersede state laws on supplying alcohol to minors.
A survey by the school’s Student Conduct Committee found insufficient data on student response to alcohol poisoning. As a result, the group recommended more education about alcohol poisoning, according to the University of Maryland”s Senate Executive Committee.
Georgetown University’s student-conduct code prohibits the distribution of alcohol to underage students and the consumption of alcohol by underage students on campus.
The school has no formal good Samaritan policy, said Andrea Fereshteh, a campus spokeswoman, and a fraternity or sorority would not be absolved for hazing incidents that result in alcohol poisoning.
George Washington University has an alcohol-amnesty policy, under which students who have no prior record for alcohol abuse are forgiven.
“If the student has a prior incident, we use discretion,” said Mark Levine, senior assistant dean of students. “If they have one, they”re usually not eligible for amnesty.”
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