It’s no secret that college students engage in underage drinking. And, unfortunately, students often drink too much alcohol and become sick.
But the way to instill healthy behavior in students is not to be tough on crime, but rather to create a culture where discussions about unsafe alcohol consumption frequently take place.
As Dartmouth College handles alcohol-related issues, we hope they focus on engaging students, administrators and law-enforcement officials in a dialogue. The college is taking a positive step by delaying the Hanover, N.H. police department’s plan to send people posed as underage partiers to frat parties and the development of more student and community efforts to discuss alcohol abuse. By bringing students more into the fold and allowing them to play a bigger role in policies, Dartmouth can establish an atmosphere where people feel comfortable talking about these important matters.
Still, there is more the Big Green community could do to keep students as safe and healthy as possible. Dartmouth students could face legal action if they are hospitalized. While student influence might be limited because the Hanover police department is independent from the school, students and administrators should persuade law enforcement to think twice before making arrests. Not only can arrests leave a mark on students’ criminal records, but the threat of criminal charges can prevent ill students from seeking the help they need. If the first priority is health, students shouldn’t have deterrants from getting healthy.
