Shelbie Harris
News Editor
In spite of 31 states passing Medical Amnesty (MA) legislation, those who live in Idaho and require medical help because of underage drinking may be subject to legal consequences.
There is currently no state legislation for Idaho MA, and only the University of Idaho and Boise State University contain provisions in their student code of conduct, however student bodies including Idaho State University, and Lewis and Clark Community College are working to implement MA policies.
Max Cowan, student body president for the University of Idaho, is spearheading the effort, which would grant limited immunity from a state’s Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP) charge in certain circumstances where they make contact with officials during an emergency.
“I think this would be a positive benefit for students in our state,” Cowan said, “particularly for underage students. It’s a fact of life that a certain percentage of underage people engage in underage drinking, and I think our first concern should be harm reduction. We should be encouraging students to look out for themselves and each other.”
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, four out of five college students drink alcohol and by age 18, about 65 percent of teens have had at least one drink.
Half of those who drink consume alcohol through binge drinking, which typically means four drinks for women and five drinks for men.
“There’s been a lot of research done that shows one of the number one reasons minors don’t seek medical attention when they’ve been drinking underage and they need it, in cases of accidents or alcohol poisoning is because they fear legal repercussions,” Cowan said.
Alcohol poisoning is another term for an alcohol overdose, which may occur when individuals consume so much alcohol that their bodies can no longer process it fast enough. Alcohol poisoning and overdoses are potentially lethal; the human body simply cannot tolerate or process excessive amounts of alcohol.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 22 alcohol-attributable deaths due to excessive alcohol use annually on average for Idaho from 2006-2010.
“Someone who is unresponsive, passed out and unable to be woken up is one of the number one signs [of alcohol poisoning],” Cowan said. “They lack motor control, they’ll be unable to roll themselves over, and they’ll have labored or irregular breathing which can lead to signs of hypoxia.”
There are variations in many of the MA legislation laws, passed for both at the state level and for academic institutions, with the amount of times a person can take advantage of the policy being a common difference.
For example, the University of Florida initiates sanctions for students involved in repeated alcohol or drug-related incidents including evaluation by the Dean of Students Office or the Coordinator of Residential Judicial Programs to determine if the student qualifies for medical amnesty.
“I think [MA] would be a good thing for ISU,” said sophomore Cory Thompson, studying medical lab science. “With a policy like this students would be more inclined to take their friends to the hospital or call for help if they need it.”
In order for the policy to be utilized, an inebriated person under the age of 21 must proactively seek medical attention, and cannot use the policy to avoid an MIP or legal interaction in the event medical attention is unnecessary.
In essence, integrating MA legislation at the state level does not mean MIP’s are a thing of the past.
“I clearly like this policy because people think it has to do with the whole MIP ordeal,” said Brian Garretson, president of the Associated Students of Boise State University. “To me it’s not even about the whole MIP thing, it’s about the health of the student.”
Some involved in the process believe underage drinking will increase as a result of passing MA legislation, however according to medicalamnesty.org, studies show that while 911 calls increased and fear of judicial repercussion decreased, drinking levels stayed the same or dropped suggesting that the presence of the policy has not encouraged drinking.
Three years ago, Aaron Letzeiser, 26, from Novi, Michigan, founded the Medical Amnesty Initiative while he was still an undergraduate at Michigan State.
The website’s mission statement reads, “We are dedicated to the introduction, passage and education of Medical Amnesty legislation throughout the United States. Our hope is for a future where young people are no longer afraid to dial 911 for help in a life or death situation.”
In a one year period following the implementation of one Medical Amnesty policy, the number of alcohol-related EMS calls increased by almost 700%
“I feel like it’s kind of iffy,” said freshman Tanesha Bautista. “[MA legislation] could be good but students should get in trouble if they have been drinking and are underage. But, at the same time if they need help that’s important too.”
ASISU President Mackenzie Smith was unavailable for comment and wrote in an email, “I believe it would be premature to do an interview on the ASISU legislation as the drafting process has yet to begin, we will be drafting later this week and early next week. Without knowing the wording or scope of the legislation, I do not think I would be able to adequately represent the legislation.”
