This past school year, Northeastern added a medical amnesty clause to the Student Handbook. It allows students to get medical attention for themselves or a friend after excessive alcohol or drug use. Under this clause, students can call for help without worrying about facing disciplinary action. But so far, only about 20 students have actually used it, Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR) Director Valerie Randall-Lee said in an e-mail to The News.

If the policy exists to help students, why have so few students invoked medical amnesty?

The policy, described on page 22 of the Student Handbook, details the steps necessary for students who seek medical treatmen to avoid a black mark on their permanent records. Students have five days after being notified by OSCCR to schedule an appointment with Chet Bowen, the Alcohol and Other Drug coordinator. A student seeking amnesty meets with Bowen, works on an educational assignment and is exempted from formal punishment. This all happens on a case-by-case basis, so it only applies in certain circumstances. For example, you have to call for help yourself; if an RA finds you passed out in the stairwell, you don’t have the option to claim medical amnesty.

Here’s the catch: you’ll still be written up by NUPD or Residential Life staff, who then forwards the information they collected to OSCCR. When OSCCR contacts you, you can begin the process to claim medical amnesty.

A quick look at past Crime Log entries shows that far more than 20 students were sent to area hospitals or at least evaluated by EMTs since the policy was created. In last semester alone, 20 students were sent to area hospitals and 7 more were evaluated by EMTs and returned to the safety of their rooms. Surely countless more hid in bedrooms and bathroom stalls, choosing to hide out rather than seek help, so NUPD or ResLife staff never encountered them, and potentially sick students didn’t get help.

Perhaps so few students use the medical amnesty policy because they don’t know it exists. For the most part, the student body doesn’t seem to be aware of the policy. Why isn’t OSCCR promoting this potentially life-saving initiative? Often, students notice when a friend needs help, but try to provide care themselves, instead of seeking professional help, because they fear punishment. If students knew that, by doing the right thing and getting help for their friend, the university won’t punish them, wouldn’t more people seek amnesty? Perhaps the policy is being applied inconsistently, though it seems more likely that students don’t realize they have the option.

Creating a medical amnesty policy was a good first step to fostering safe attitudes about alcohol on Northeastern’s campus. But the university must go further because a policy used by only 20 people just isn’t good enough. OSCCR needs to educate the student body on the amnesty policy, something they haven’t done yet. The policy is explicitly clear and fair, but more students must be made aware of it. This can take place during floor meetings in residence halls, through direct letters or e-mails to the student body, even signs around campus. Students deserve to know their rights, and if this policy can save student lives, then why isn’t OSCCR spreading the word on the medical amnesty policy?

When students feel they need to hide rather than seek help after overusing alcohol or drugs, something is very wrong. Sure, admitting that students are drinking to excess is embarrassing. But the university must swallow its pride for the safety of the student body.