Senate AOD Q&A
By AOD Committee
Earlier this month, Senators Meera Balan and Bella Moore, both part of the AOD Committee, sent out an anonymous questionnaire to the student body to answer the most common questions that persisted about the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) policy at Reed. Cameron Tanner, the Assistant Dean of Student Life and Responsibilities, answered them.
1: Every person I know that a CSO was called for fear of alcohol poisoning was issued an AOD. When exactly does medical amnesty apply? Is it only if you are taken to the hospital?
Cameron Tanner (CT): Medical amnesty applies when a student experiences a physical and/or psychological crisis while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (AOD) and they seek assistance or someone seeks assistance on their behalf. In these situations, neither the student in crisis nor any student calling for help will be subject to disciplinary action for personal possession or use of illicit substances, including consumption of alcohol by minors. A letter is sent to the student to inform them that their reported behavior represents a violation of Reed’s AOD Policy, but would be covered under Reed’s Medical Amnesty Policy. The student is asked to confirm the facts in the report or meet to discuss discrepancies or other concerns. If it is determined the facts are accurate and a violation of the AOD policy occurred, the student is asked to complete a meeting/meetings focused on harm reduction and well-being, and medical amnesty is applied. Medical amnesty can be applied whether or not the student is transported to the hospital and is applied in nearly every instance where Community Safety is called for fear of alcohol poisoning. One exception is that students who experience subsequent AOD-related medical emergencies after receiving medical amnesty may be excluded from the Medical Amnesty Policy. However, this is only likely to be used when a student's pattern of use presents such a risk to themselves or the community that additional action may be necessary.
2: I would love to see statistics on how medical amnesty has helped people or even saved lives at Reed. Is it invoked like once a year or like fifty times a year?
CT: Medical amnesty has been applied to between 22-34% of all reported AOD-related incidents over the past three academic years. Roughly 20 calls for assistance occur each year that are covered by medical amnesty. Community Safety Officers responding to these calls provide assessment, assistance, and support medical professionals in locating students to provide on-site care or transport for further medical assistance.
3: Are 21+ students allowed to have alcohol on campus?
CT: Yes. Students who are 21 or over are allowed to possess and consume alcohol responsibly on campus.
4: What should a student do if they are given an AOD violation but they never did anything? Like you receive a violation for drinking on a specific day, but you weren’t?
CT: When Student Life receives a report involving potential violation of the AOD Policy, a representative (usually an area coordinator) will reach out to the student(s) with a copy of the report and let them know that the facts presented would likely represent a violation of policy. They ask the student to confirm the facts presented in the report or to reach out to set up a meeting if there is a discrepancy or concern with what is contained in the report. An AOD violation is only assigned once a student has confirmed the facts in the report or met with a representative in Student Life to discuss their perspective on the incident that was reported.
5: Will AOD’s affect my eligibility for financial aid?
CT: In general, AOD violations do not impact eligibility for financial aid. Student Life does not share AOD violation information with the Financial Aid Office.
6: Who can give out AODs?
CT: AOD violations are determined by the Dean of Students or their designee (usually an AC or the Assistant Dean for Student Rights and Responsibilities) after a review of a report or other evidence and consideration of the student response.
Thank you for all your questions. We hope this provides clarity! Please reach out if you have any additional questions or concerns.