A clear message to students: Get help

March 7, 2009 at 12:23AM

When it comes to new solutions for the difficult problem of college students' binge drinking, university officials and public health experts always have plenty to say. But the real experts are the ones the programs are designed to protect: the students themselves.

And so when the University of Minnesota Duluth announced this week that it's moving to implement a pioneering new program to spur students to call 911 for medical help if someone is dangerously drunk, we asked college students around the state what they thought. The result was an overwhelming thumbs-up and a desire to broaden the program to other Minnesota schools.

"I think this is a really important stance to take. It will save lives and help people call 911,'' said Shana Conklin, a senior in political science at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus and an officer in the student government association there.

The program at the University of Minnesota Duluth, which officials there hope will be in place for the next academic year, is a welcome and reasonable solution to address the reluctance that too many students have in calling for emergency medical assistance.

It's been dubbed a "medical amnesty" program in some news reports. Although amnesty is too strong a word, the program would provide legal protection for 911 callers, who may be underage and drinking themselves. In other words, the focus of authorities responding to the scene is providing care, not busting minors for alcohol consumption. The university is partnering with local law enforcement, said Randy Hyman, UMD's vice chancellor for academic support and student life. There are about 90 schools nationwide with similar policies, according to one advocacy group.

Although some might criticize the UMD program for not preventing students' drinking, the program deserves applause for its real-world, head-on approach to one critical facet of the problem. Despite a growing awareness of alcohol's dangers, and recent "power hour" laws intended to curb binges, college students still drink — and when they do, their inexperience can easily get them into trouble. The 2007 death of Amanda Jax, a nursing student who ingested a fatal amount of alcohol and died in a Mankato apartment, remains a haunting reminder of what can go wrong.

Unfortunately, dangerous drinking is still too common in the state. It was shocking to talk to Minnesota college students for this editorial. Interviews quickly turned up stories of finding a friend passed out in a snowbank or of trying to awaken an unresponsive roommate. Data from the Twin Cities' Boynton Health Service makes these scenarios even more frightening. A 2007 student survey revealed that many students have reservations about calling 911 in such situations. Students say they worry about getting into trouble or getting everyone else in trouble and mad at them.

The University of Minnesota Duluth program would help overcome that reluctance. While it's only one part of the educational effort needed to curb student drinking in the state, it's an important step. Nick Luciano, a student at the Twin Cities campus, summed it up best: "You shouldn't get penalized for helping somebody out.''

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