Student Substance Abuse Policy

The College believes that it has a responsibility to create, enforce, and constantly monitor an institutional policy on substance abuse prevention and that all students, faculty, and staff are expected to know and adhere to this policy.

The possession, use, manufacture, sale, and/or distribution of illegal drugs and other controlled substances by students, faculty, or staff at John Tyler Community College will not be tolerated. All actions consistent with the law and individual privacy will be taken by the College to eliminate drugs on the campuses and to deal fairly with individuals found in violation of both Virginia’s statutes and federal laws pertaining to such substances.

Responsible and Legal Use of Alcoholic Beverages

John Tyler Community College neither encourages nor discourages the use of alcoholic beverages but rather discourages the abusive use of alcohol. Further, the College expects that all deliberations concerning the availability of alcoholic beverages at any officially designated College activity will include a full and realistic discussion of the appropriateness of such consumption. Individual members of the College community are responsible for their decisions concerning their use of alcohol, as well as their behavior as a consequence of these decisions.

All members of the College community are expected to know and act in accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia laws and institutional regulations concerning the purchase, possession, consumption, sales, and storage of alcoholic beverages. Persons who violate these laws and regulations are subject to prosecution and College disciplinary action.

The College assumes no responsibility for any liability incurred at an event, not sponsored by the College, where alcohol is served and/or sold. Students and recognized student organizations are always expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and to assume full responsibility for their actions, activities, and events.

Specific Areas of Emphasis

1. The State Board for Community Colleges has delegated to each individual College’s Board the responsibility for taking action on requests to serve beer at student-associated community college functions. Such requests must be submitted to the dean of student services who will forward each request with his or her recommendation to the president or designee of the College. The president or designee, after reviewing the specific nature of the function, may approve or reject the request.
2. College funds may be used only for the purchase of alcoholic beverages to be served and/or sold at an approved College activity for which a one-day banquet license to serve beer or wine has been obtained in accordance with the conditions established by the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
3. Non-alcoholic beverages and food items must be present at all College-sponsored events where alcoholic beverages are served.
4. Alcoholic beverages must never be mentioned in the advertising or publicizing of a College-sponsored event.
5. Organizations serving alcohol at College-sponsored events should not permit the entry or exit of persons with beverage containers.
6. Organizations should check for proper age identification of individuals attending events where alcohol is served and implement a process that visually identifies those participants of legal drinking age.
7. Any organization, as well as its leadership, sponsoring an event at the College will be responsible for following all State laws relative to the serving and/or selling of alcoholic beverages.
8. College community members are expected to know and adhere to the following:
   1. Any sale of alcoholic beverage requires an ABC license.
   2. Alcoholic beverages are not to be given or sold to persons under the legal drinking age of twenty-one.
   3. Alcoholic beverages are not to be given or sold to persons who are intoxicated.
   4. State law prohibits the following: drinking in public, possession of an alcoholic beverage by a person under the legal drinking age, falsely representing one’s age for the purpose of procuring alcohol, and purchasing an alcoholic beverage for a person who is under the legal drinking age.

Drug Enforcement Practices

Possession, use, manufacture, sale and distribution of illegal substances are crimes. John Tyler Community College will cooperate with law enforcement authorities to enforce current statutes. Students, faculty, and staff may be subject to prosecution by civil authorities for violations of these laws. Penalties may be severe, including the loss of civil rights.

Illegal involvement with drugs and/or the unauthorized purchase, consumption, possession, sale or distribution of alcohol on the campus also will result in disciplinary action by the College. Students who engage in such illegal activity “are subject to disciplinary actions as defined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities section of this handbook. Such actions could result in dismissal from the College.

Substance Abuse Education and Prevention

Students, faculty, and staff should recognize that substance abuse interferes with their abilities to succeed academically and professionally. Substance abuse poses numerous threats to human health and can kill. It is also contrary to what institutions of higher learning strive to attain: development of individual character, attainment of human potential, informed and responsible citizenry, and respect for the laws and norms governing society.

Alcohol consumption causes a number of marked changes in behavior. Even low doses significantly impair the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely, increasing the likelihood that the driver will be involved in an accident. Low to moderate doses of alcohol cause marked impairments in higher mental functions, severely altering a person’s ability to learn and remember information. Very high doses cause respiratory depression and death. If combined with other depressants of the central nervous system, much lower doses of alcohol will produce the effects just described.

Repeated use of alcohol can lead to dependence. Sudden cessation of alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions. Alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening. Long-term consumption of large quantities of alcohol, particularly when combined with poor nutrition, can also lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and the liver.

Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants have irreversible physical abnormalities and cognitive deficits. In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other youngsters of becoming alcoholics.

The College will annually present programs on the dangers of substance abuse. Students, college personnel, and members of the community will be encouraged to participate in these educational programs.

Substance Abuse Counseling and Referral

The College will establish and actively publicize a system whereby students who think that they are at risk of drug or alcohol abuse can have access to appropriate counseling and referral services. The environment will be one in which a student may discuss substance abuse problems openly and without fear of reprisal. To the extent permissible by law, student confidentiality will be protected. The College also will establish an employee assistance program for faculty and classified staff working at the institution. Information on the State Employee Assistance Service and similar referral sources will be distributed in each segment of the College. The College’s Human Resources Office will implement a program of supervisor training that addresses the special skills required for effective counseling and referral and discusses the issue of confidentiality.

The College will maintain a close working association with community agencies that provide counseling and treatment for substance abuse. The Advising Centers, the Office of the Dean of Students and the Human Resources Office will establish and make available to students, faculty, and staff information about these agencies, and organizations.

Virginia Laws Pertaining to Alcohol & Controlled Substances

Alcohol

Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Act contains a variety of laws governing the possession, use, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The Act applies to the students and employees of this institution. As required by the Federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989, the pertinent laws, including sanctions for their violation are summarized below.

1. It is unlawful for any person under age 21 to purchase or possess any alcoholic beverage. Violation of the law exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is confinement in jail for up to twelve months and a fine up to $2,500, either or both.
   
   Additionally, such person’s Virginia driver’s license may be suspended for a period of not more than one year.
2. It is unlawful for any person to sell alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21 years of age. Violation of the law exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is confinement in jail for up to twelve months and a fine up to $2,500, either or both.
3. It is unlawful for any person to purchase alcoholic beverages for another when, at the time of the purchase, he knows or has reason to know that the person for whom the alcohol is purchased is under the legal drinking age. The criminal sanction for violation of the law is the same as #2 above.
4. It is unlawful for any person to consume alcoholic beverages in unlicensed public places. Persons violating the law, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is a fine up to $250.

Controlled Substances and Illicit Drugs

The unlawful possession, distribution, and use of controlled substances and illicit drugs, as defined by the Virginia Drug Control Act, are prohibited in Virginia. Controlled substances are classified under the Act into “schedules,” ranging from Schedule I through Schedule VI, as defined in sections 54.1-3446 through 54.1-3456 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended. As required by the Federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989, the pertinent laws, including sanctions for their violation, are summarized below.

1. Possession of a controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a felony conviction for which the punishment is a term of imprisonment ranging from one to ten years, or, in the discretion of the jury or the court trying the case without a jury, confinement in jail for up to twelve months and a fine up to $2,500, either or both.
2. Possession of a controlled substance classified in Schedule III of the Drug Control Act, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is confinement in jail for up to twelve months and a fine up to $2,500, either or both.
3. Possession of controlled substance classified in Schedule IV of the Drug Control Act, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is confinement in jail for up to six months and a fine up to $1,000, either or both.
4. Possession of controlled substance classified in Schedule V of the Drug Control Act, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is a fine up to $500.
5. Possession of a controlled substance classified in Schedule VI of the Drug Control Act, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is a fine up to $250.
6. Possession of a controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act with the intent to sell or otherwise distribute, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a felony conviction for which the punishment is imprisonment from five to forty years and a fine up to $100,000. Upon a second conviction, the violator must be imprisoned for not less than five years but may suffer life imprisonment and fined up to $100,000.
7. Possession of a controlled substance classified in Schedules III, IV or V of the Drug Control Act with the intent to sell or otherwise distribute, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is confinement in jail for up to one year and a fine up to $2,500, either or both.
8. Possession of marijuana, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is confinement in jail for up to thirty days and a fine up to $500, either or both. Upon a second conviction, punishment is confinement in jail for up to one year and a fine up to $2,500, either or both.
9. Possession of less than one-half ounce of marijuana with intent to sell or otherwise distribute, upon conviction, exposes the violator to a misdemeanor conviction for which the punishment is confinement in jail for up to one year and a fine up to $2,500, either or both. If the amount of marijuana involved is more than one-half ounce to five pounds, the crime is a felony with a sanction of imprisonment from one to ten years, or in the discretion of the jury or the court trying the case without a jury, confinement in jail for up to one year and a fine up to $2,500, either or both. If the amount of marijuana involved is more than five pounds, the crime is a felony with a sanction of imprisonment from five to thirty years.