Drug Policy

I want to go to a Yale where Yale treats drugs as a safety issue first, not a disciplinary one. In a dangerous situation, Yalies should not hesitate to seek help for themselves or for friends because they fear disciplinary action or even criminal prosecution. While Yale does have a legal obligation to not permit drug use on campus, it is essential that drug use be treated as a safety issue first, just like alcohol. In 2013, the national organization Students for a Sensible Drug Policy ranked Yale’s policies lower than those of any other Ivy League school. For safety’s sake, it’s time for a change.

Yale should:

• Extend the “Good Samaritan Policy,” which protects students seeking help for themselves or someone else in an alcohol-related emergency, to students seeking help for themselves or someone else in a drug-related emergency. No one should hesitate to get help for someone who has an adverse reaction to drugs because they fear disciplinary action.

• Clarify sanctions for violations of Yale’s drug policy; if possible, distinguish between sanctions for possession of marijuana and that of other illegal drugs.

• Explain the set of circumstances under which Yale would consider referring someone who violates Yale’s drug & alcohol policies for prosecution. Students have a right to know when and why Yale would refer their violation to outside authorities.

What YCC can do:

• Advocate to key administrators for an expanded Good Samaritan Policy that includes similar protections for drug use as currently exist for alcohol use.

• Collaborate with the Yale chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy to identify areas of Yale’s current drug and alcohol policy that are unclear, and ask administrators to clarify these areas of the policy.