[1732] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: [Mit-talk] Seeking feedback on alcohol policy
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steve Kelch)
Fri Feb 10 00:57:30 2006
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:57:03 -0500
To: Sarah L Mcdougal <asarahm@mit.edu>, mit-talk@mit.edu
From: Steve Kelch <kelch@mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.62L.0602092227060.20160@mass-toolpike.mit.edu>
Errors-To: mit-talk-bounces@mit.edu
The problem with the suggestion that we increase the knowledge is that people
don't listen. Groups like Nightline, SaveTFP, MIT EMS, Medlinks, etc. are
constantly giving out information, but students at MIT rarely feel
that it applies
to them, and so it largely goes ignored.
The structure for getting fast help without police involvement is
already in place,
but it hasn't received proper support. The student run EMS is almost always on
call during term, and can provide free transport to medical without
police. But as
of right now, there is no easy number, like 100, to call to get the
ambulance directly
(currently the number is 3x1212). Calling 100 involves a middle man that could
possibly alert the police (they aren't supposed to, but the fear and
possibility are there).
Have this number run directly to the 911 system if the MIT ambulance
is not on call.
The MIT EMS system currently operates in a manner that, if the
patient is not belligerent
and has committed no other crime, does not include disclosure to
either Medical or MIT
(they transport to MGH).
So, establish an easy to remember number that alerts the EMS system directly,
advertise the hell out of it, educate people on their rights when
they call the number,
and you won't have to worry about having a Dean or GRT on call, or
have confused
frosh leaving their friends to die.
Steve
At 10:42 PM 2/9/2006, Sarah L Mcdougal wrote:
>two thoughts:
>
>i think it would be good to increase the knowledge of the general
>population - signs that a friend has had too much to drink, coping
>strategies for getting them either to slow down or get help, where to go
>for help. could this kind of training (i'm thinking kinda like TIPs) be
>expanded to the general population? maybe make it part of a hall feed?
>
>could there be a number direct to MIT medical? there's always someone on
>call there, and it would be the telephone equivalent of taking someone to
>the actual building and ringing the doorbell. the first problem i could
>think of is people would prank call. maybe there could be some kind of
>intermediary? (nightline -> medical ? GRTs -> medical ?) that takes the
>police and the deans out of the equation. and going to medical implies
>complete confidentiality.
>
>more thoughts?
>-asm
>
>On Thu, 9 Feb 2006, Jessica H Lowell wrote:
>
> > This is bcc-ed to all the dorm talk lists, I think. If I've sent it to the
> > wrong list, please forward it to the right one. Also, pass it along to the
> > residents of the FSILGs - I would like to include them, but as
> far as I know
> > they don't have talk lists that contain a large proportion of
> their population.
> >
> > Background: There were incidents in fall '04 and fall '05
> involving "dangerous
> > alcohol consumption" by freshmen. The freshmen would get drunk, and their
> > friends, who didn't know what to do, would leave them somewhere to be
> > discovered, or would be confused because they were in a strange
> residence and
> > didn't know who to contact. People from CDSA, SLP, the UA,
> DormCon, the IFC,
> > and Panhel were brought together to talk about this.
> >
> > Disclaimer: This is my attempt to get feedback from students and
> others in the
> > community, and I am speaking as an individual who was part of the
> group, rather
> > than speaking officially for the group.
> >
> > The first initiative that the group came up with was "communication and
> > education of the community" which includes the red "How to help a friend"
> > posters that you should have gotten and will also include dissemination of
> > policy/procedure info.
> >
> > The second initiative involves each dorm developing a sort of
> > housemaster-or-GRT-on-call system, where some member of the
> houseteam will be
> > in the dorm from midnight to 4am during weekend and other
> "high-risk" times,
> > and that person's contact info will be posted at the dorm's front desk or
> > entrance while they are on call so that someone at, say, a party in an
> > unfamiliar dorm, or bringing a very intoxicated friend home, will
> know who to
> > talk to. I believe this idea was presented to the housemasters
> and received
> > positively.
> >
> > A student who is taken to medical for alcohol intoxication will
> not be subject
> > to MIT discipline unless the situation also involves violence,
> sexual assault,
> > hazing, etc. This also applies to a student who gets another student help.
> > The student who is treated will be expected to participate in a
> confidential
> > alcoholism screening program known as BASICS, which is administered by MIT
> > Mental Health and consists of two 55 minute meetings, and does
> not go on the
> > student's disciplinary record.
> >
> > Please let me know what you think about this. Also, if you're a
> member of the
> > group, and see that I've somehow botched something horribly, speak up.
> >
> > - Jessie
> > _______________________________________________
> > MIT-talk mailing list
> > MIT-talk@mit.edu
> > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/mit-talk
> >
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