Gannett Health Services
Ho Plaza
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3101
Tel: 607 255-5155
Email: gannett@cornell.edu
HELP! My friend drank too much. What do I do?
What is Medical Amnesty?
How does MAP work?
What impact has MAP had on the Cornell campus?
Other questions about MAP?
Web links for MAP
It is imperative that someone call for medical assistance when an individual experiences severe intoxication or a serious injury after consuming alcohol. People may be reluctant to seek help in such alcohol-related emergencies because of potential judicial consequences for themselves, the person in need of assistance, or the organization hosting the event where the situation occurs. Since these emergencies are potentially life threatening, Cornell seeks to reduce barriers to seeking assistance. To this end, this Medical Amnesty Protocol (MAP) has been developed.
This protocol is part of Cornell's comprehensive approach to reducing the harmful consequences caused by the consumption of alcohol. The following offices have agreed to implement this protocol: Cornell University Police Department, Judicial Administrator's Office, Dean of Students Office, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, Campus Life/Community Development, and Gannett Health Services.
The MAP represents the University's commitment to increasing the likelihood that community members will call for medical assistance when faced with an alcohol-related emergency. The MAP also promotes education for individuals who receive emergency medical attention related to their own use of alcohol in order to reduce the likelihood of future occurrences.
To achieve these aims, the MAP provides that discretion will be exercised, as permitted under Cornell's Campus Code of Conduct (Code), as follows:
If an individual who receives emergency medical attention related to his or her consumption of alcohol completes a required follow-up at Gannett*, he or she will not be subject to judicial action should the following Code violations occur at the time of the emergency:
The individual receiving amnesty will not be required to meet with the Judicial Administrator, will not be required to pay for the required follow-up service at Gannett, and will receive a warning rather than a written reprimand. A person in need of medical attention is eligible for medical amnesty on more than one occasion.
An individual who calls for emergency assistance on behalf of a person experiencing an alcohol-related emergency will not be subject to judicial action for the following Code violations in relation to the incident:
A representative of an organization hosting an event is expected to promptly call for medical assistance in an alcohol-related emergency. This act of responsibility will mitigate the judicial consequences against the organization resulting from Code violations that may have occurred at the time of the incident. Likewise, failure to call for medical assistance in an alcohol-related emergency will be considered an "aggravating circumstance" and may affect the judicial resolution against the organization if Code violations may have occurred.
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* For the first incident, the BASICS program (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) will be utilized. For subsequent incidents, appropriate interventions will be handled on a case by case basis.
Since the implementation of MAP in the fall of 2002, we have found an increase in both calls to the emergency medical services (EMS) and hospital emergency room visits of acute alcohol intoxication with nonconcurrent increase in the amount of drinking on campus. In 2002-03, the academic year prior to the implementation of MAP, there were 63 alcohol-related calls to Cornell EMS. In 2005-06, four years after MAP's implementation, there were 91 calls, a 44% increase. Similarly, in 2002-03, there were 67 reported alcohol-related hospital emergency room visits. In 2005-06, there were 97 visits, a 45% increase.
For more findings regarding the efficacy of MAP, as well as suggestions for other campuses considering replicating MAP, please see the International Journal of Drug Policy, July 2006.
If you have any questions regarding the Medical Amnesty Policy in general, please contact:
Mary Elizabeth Grant
Office of the Judicial Administrator
500 Day Hall
607.255.4680
If you have any questions regarding the Medical Amnesty Policy for fraternities and sororities, please contact:
Fraternity and Sorority Affairs
Dean of Students Office
538 Willard Straight Hall
607.254.4734
Emergencies
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