TEMS, alcohol policy 'is a problem'

Sunday morning, 3 a.m.: The Hill is filled with sounds of drunken laughter, as students return home after a long night of partying. But what about your friend who has had a few too many drinks and has been vomiting for the last hour? You think he may need medical attention, but the fear of punishment for him, or both of you may influence your decision to call for help.

These are the moments when the threat of academic probation forces students to choose whether to call the Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) for emergency care or whether to tough it out and pray for the best.

When a student calls for assistance, a TEMS officer is dispatched along with a representative of the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD), who ensures the scene is safe and investigates any criminal activity. If the student is found to have been illegally consuming alcohol, a variety of actions can be prescribed, most commonly Probation Level I.

A student on Probation I is ineligible to join a fraternity, to be a Residential Assistant, or to hold certain leadership positions. Parents are not notified when the University places their child on Level I, and it does not appear on a student's permanent record. Probation Level I, which lasts for one year, also means any additional offenses will lead to Probation Level II.

Director of the Tufts Alcohol and Health Education Center Armand Mickune-Santos questions the role of any disciplinary action in the medical assistance process. His personal recommendation is educating and counseling for any student convicted of underage drinking.

"I think that what hinders the alcohol policy is the attachment of Probation I," Mickune-Santos said. "If you and your friend call TEMS and know that you can get in trouble, he might say 'don't call.' This is a problem."

Students often are discouraged from using what otherwise is a beneficial Tufts program, because they are unsure of disciplinary consequences. "People don't want to call. They think they're going to get in trouble," sophomore John Paul Fontelo said.

Tufts is not looking to drop the disciplinary aspect of the policy anytime soon though, according to Dean of Students Veronica Carter. "We have to enforce the alcohol policy, we have to enforce the Massachusetts state law...We can't ignore that," she said.

Prior to the 2000-2001 academic year, students had to pay a $50 fine if they were caught engaging in underage drinking. In 2000-2001 the policy was changed to include Probation I instead of a fine. At the time of the policy change, TEMS said the primary motive behind adding the disciplinary action was to make sure that "people [were not] deterred from calling for medical help." The thinking was that students did not call TEMS because they did not want to pay a fine.

Carter said the changes were made because both TEMS and a task force on student alcohol use were adamant that the fine needed to be dropped. The task force "felt that they wold rather do anything than have the fine," she said.

But the Executive Director of TEMS Eric Staler noted that there has not been an appreciable difference in call volume since the fine was dropped and the disciplinary action was added. Alcohol related incidents still account for approximately five to ten percent of the yearly call volume, or between 50 and 60 cases per year.

Reiterating that she feels the Tufts' system tries to be more educational than disciplinary, Carter says there should be no rush to remove Probation I from the policy. There have been no noticeable increases in calls since the $50 fine was removed and the change was made at the bequest of students. Probation I is only "a warning that you have broken the standards of the community," Carter said.

In addition to the consequences of a Probation Level I, students are required to visit the Alcohol and Health Education Center for an evaluation session. After the meeting, Mickune-Santos can recommend and require weekly or monthly visitations from the students. The Dean of Students Office can also require students to attend these sessions after multiple offenses.

All of these factors play into students' decision on whether or not to call for help. But students are warned not to hesitate. "We want the student to have total confidence in the medical community on campus. If there's a situation, pick up the phone and call TEMS," Mickune-Santos said.

Several students questioned if they could feel completely comfortable calling TEMS for a friend if they knew punishment was involved. Freshman Caroline Kennedy said, "I would definitely hesitate to call TEMS for someone else. I just don't want to wind up on Probation I."

When asked to come up with an alternative way of dealing with Tufts alcohol problems, though, many students were at a loss.

"I think the current system is pretty good," sophomore Carlos Cueva-Alegria said. "You would have to be pretty dumb not to call; better to get Probation I than to die."

The introduction of a new alcohol awareness course on its use and consequences is a step towards a more educational policy. The course, which will be offered online, includes links to other websites and resources available to students.

Administration officials, who plan to make all first year students complete the course, are excited about the program. "I'm very happy about the online course because I think it's an educational course," Carter said. "Education is the most important thing we can do for an alcohol policy."

Mickune-Santos explained the role of the new course, "We didn't want to offer another seminar during orientation, or make students go to a classroom," he said. "This will be available for people to complete at their convenience." Santos estimates the courses will take three hours "at most" to complete.

New additions to alcohol related programs across campuses in the US have been brought on by increasing problems with underage drinking across the nation. In 1998, MIT changed its procedure to completely remove any disciplinary action from their policy after a student died of alcohol poisoning at a fraternity party. Under the "immunity" provision, students who have not damaged property or assaulted anyone would not be issued citations when seeking medical treatment _ even if they were underage.

Despite disciplinary action at Tufts, Fontelo, like many students at the University, realizes that the benefits of a TEMS call far outweigh the possible consequences. "You have to do what you have to do. I think in an emergency it's just more important to call and make sure you are fine," he said