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Medical Amnesty (MAP)

Gannett Health Services
110 Ho Plaza
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3101
Tel: 607 255-5155
Fax: 607 255-0269
Email

Do the right thing:                Call 911 for help

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What is Cornell's Medical Amnesty Program?

It is imperative 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, Residential Programs, 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.

IS "Good Samaritan" the same thing?

On July 24, 2011, Govener Cuomo signed into law a new "Good Samaritan Policy" designed to encourage individuals to do the right thing and call 911 for help in an alcohol or other drug emergency.

Although the Good Samaritan Law is different from MAP, the philosophy is the same, and it applies everywhere in NY State. Having a statewide amnesty law is beneficial to Cornell, as Cornell's MAP only applies in areas in which the Code of Conduct is enforced. It is hoped that the state's amnesty will result in more Cornell students calling for help in Collegetown and other off-campus locations.

How does the Cornell MAP work?

Cornell's MAP provides that discretion will be exercised, as permitted under Cornell's Campus Code of Conduct (Code), as follows:  

Person in need of medical attention 

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:  

  • underage possession of alcohol
  • disorderly conduct  

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.  

Calling on behalf of someone else 

Individual 

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:  

  • underage possession of alcohol
  • provision of alcohol to an underage person
  • disorderly conduct  

* 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.

Organization  

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. 

NOTE: On March 2011, the student-run Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) passed a resolution resolving  to apply Medical Amnesty in the following way:

  • 1st time call: It will be understood that a chapter who invoked MAP for the first time in a single semester will automatically receive no Greek Judicial Board sanction, but instead will have its pertinent chapter officers referred to an informal education discussion with the VP Judicial and any other necessary parties for a non-sanction oriented consultation.
  • 2nd time call: It will be understood that a second use in a single semester of MAP will automatically require another meeting with the VP Judicial of the same nature. Additionally, the same form of educational session, given by the VP Judicial or a pertinent member of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (OFSA) staff or third party would be required of the chapter, at which attendance of 50% of the members is mandatory.
  • 3rd time call (or more): It will be understood that in the case of a third call for MAP in a single semester will be handled on a case by case base basis. A chapter's action to invoke MAP a third time or more than that would still be considered a mitigating factor in any judicial process, but would result in a formal meeting with an OFSA representative, the VP Judicial, and any relevant chapter offices. For calls made a third time or more, sanctions would be considered by the regular process in order to curb behaviors indicative of social irresponsibility by a chapter.
What impact has MAP had on the Cornell campus?

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.

For 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.

Questions about MAP?

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

Web links/resources for MAP

Other Cornell Pages

MAP in the news

Safety First

Read a case study (pdf) of Cornell's Medical Amnesty Protocol, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, Volume 17, Issue 4, July 2006.

 

Helping a friend

What does it mean to "be a good friend" in a situation that involves an alcohol emergency? Learn more.