Policy Information

Drug Free Campus & Alcohol Abuse Statement

Employees:

University of Connecticut employees shall not unlawfully distribute, dispense, sell, manufacture, possess, use or be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not only when they are on the job but whenever they are subject to duty. Neither shall employees unlawfully sell or provide drugs or alcohol to someone else nor shall they have the ability to work impaired as a result of the use of drugs or alcohol.
Any employee engaged in the performance of a grant-funded project must notify the University of any Criminal Drug statute/conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than five days after such conviction. This notification is to be made to the Office of Labor Relations at 486-4038.

The University's General Rules of Conduct presently reflect the prohibitions listed above. Employees who are in violation of this policy are subject to the legal sanctions which follow, and will also be dealt with administratively. Administrative sanctions will be implemented consistent with the principles of progressive discipline, generally at the level of suspension or dismissal. Additionally, the loss of motor vehicle license due to a DWI conviction, in positions that require the incumbent to drive, will require an administrative review that could result in dismissal from employment.

Federal Regulation 49 CFR Part 382.601 (d) mandated, effective January 1, 1995, all employees who are required to possess and maintain a Commercial Drivers' License (CDL) in order to drive a commercial motor vehicle will be subject to mandatory alcohol and drug testing pursuant to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) regulations. The purpose of these regulations is to enhance highway transportation safety.

Students:

Similarly, students at the University of Connecticut are subject to the provisions of the Student Conduct Code while on University premises or University related premises or when involved with off campus University activities. The section on Acts of Misconduct of the Student Conduct Code (Article III, Sections 7 & 23) specifically prohibits the manufacture, distribution, sale, use, offer for sale, or possession of drugs or narcotics, or drug paraphernalia and mandates adherence to the University's Alcoholic Beverage Policy. A student who is found guilty of misconduct or is found guilty of being an accessory to misconduct shall be subject to the sanctions authorized by the Student Conduct Code. The maximum sanctions which can be imposed upon a student found guilty include expulsion or suspension from the University.
*Note - Policies contained in this Drug Free Campus and Alcohol Abuse Statement apply to all campuses and worksites of the University of Connecticut. [University of Connecticut Health Center has a separate document.

Legal Sanctions

The University campus is subject to State and Federal laws concerning use and possession of alcohol and drugs. Individuals must be aware of and abide by these laws or face legal prosecution.

Alcohol

Section 30- 89(a) of Connecticut statutes states that it is unlawful for a minor (under the age of 21) to purchase, or attempt to purchase or to make a false statement in connection with the attempted purchase of alcohol. The sanction is a fine of $200-$500. Section 30- 89(b) states that possession of alcohol by a minor on a street, highway, or public place is illegal. The fine ranges from $200-$500.

Drugs

Connecticut statutes cover a wide range of drug offenses, including the offer, the sale, the possession with intent to sell, the gift, and the mere possession of various types of drugs. [21a CONN. GEN. STAT. Section 277, 278, 279 (1988)] Among other provisions, the state laws create the following mandatory minimum prison sentences for first- time offenders who are not "drug-dependent" persons:

• Five years for the manufacture or sale, or possession with intent to sell, of one ounce or more of heroin, methadone, or cocaine, or one- half gram or more of cocaine in a freebase form, or five milligrams or more of LSD;
• Five years for the manufacture or sale, or possession with intent to sell, of any narcotic, hallucinogenic or amphetamine-type substance, or one kilogram or more of a cannabis-type substance (which includes marijuana);
• Five years for the offer or gift of any of the above drugs in the respective amounts.

Conviction for the possession of drugs carries no mandatory minimum sentence but the following maximum sentences do exist for first-time offenders:

• Seven years or $50,000 or both for possession of any quantity of a narcotic, including cocaine and "crack," morphine, or heroin;
• Five years or $2,000 or both for possession of any quantity of a hallucinogen (such as LSD or peyote) or four ounces or more of a cannabis-type substance (which includes marijuana);
• One year or $1,000, or both for possession of less than four ounces of a cannabis-type substance, or any quantity of a controlled drug, such as amphetamines or barbiturates.

Actual sentences depend on the severity and the circumstances of the offense and the character and background of the offender.

Federal law also penalizes the manufacture, distribution, possession with intent to manufacture or distribute, and simple possession of drugs ("controlled substances") Controlled Substances Act 21 U.S.C. Section 841, 843[b], 844, 845, 846 (1988). The law sets the following sentences for first-time offenders:

• A minimum of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment or $4,000,000 or both for the knowing or intentional manufacture, sale or possession with intent to sell, of large amounts of any narcotic, including heroin, morphine, or cocaine (which includes "crack"), or of phencyclidine (PCP), or of LSD, or of marijuana (1,000 kilograms or more);
• A minimum of five years and maximum of 40 years or $2,000,000 or both for similar actions involving smaller amounts of any narcotic, including heroin, morphine, or cocaine (which includes "crack"), or phencyclidine (PCP), or of LSD, or of marijuana (100 kilograms or more);
• A maximum of five years or $250,000 or both for similar actions involving smaller amounts of marijuana (less than 50 kilograms), hashish, hashish oil, PCP or LSD, or any amounts of amphetamines, barbiturates, and other controlled stimulants and depressives;
• Four years or $30,000 or both for using the mail, telephone, radio or any other public or private means of communication to commit acts that violate the laws against the manufacture, sale, and possession of drugs;
• One year or $1,000 or both for possession of any controlled substance. (The gift of a "small amount" of marijuana is subject to the penalties for simple possession.)

Penalties may be doubled, however, when a person at least 18 years old [1] distributes a controlled substance to a person under 21 years of age and (a term of imprisonment for this offense shall not be less than one year) or [2] distributes, possesses with intent to distribute, or manufactures a controlled substance in or on, or within 1,000 feet of, the real property comprising a public or private elementary, vocational or secondary school, or a public or private college. Any attempt or conspiracy to commit one of the above federal offenses, even if unsuccessful, is punishable by the same sentence prescribed for that offense. A first-time offender may receive only probation and later have the charge dismissed. Although in some cases the federal penalties seem somewhat lighter, it is not possible to "trade" a state charge for a federal one.

State and Federal law thus make crimes of many different activities involving drugs. Simple possession, giving, or even merely offering drugs is illegal, as are such offenses as the manufacture or sale of drugs.

Risks

The fast paced, high stress environment of the 1990's, and the drug oriented nature of our society puts all of us at risk for abusing alcohol and other drugs. Alcohol, while commercially exploited and condoned by society, is misused by many teens, college students, and adults. The most commonly abused drug in the United States, alcohol affects the home life of millions of children each year, and each year it causes more than 100,000 deaths nationwide - that's more deaths by alcohol than all illegal drugs combined.

While almost everyone will use some drug during their life, and drugs have greatly reduced human suffering and have improved the quality of our lives, the misuse of alcohol and other drugs can negatively affect our job performance, academic performance, personal safety, relationships with others, and emotional and physical well-being. Examples of the consequences of high-risk alcohol and other drug choices include:

• 60% of child and spousal abuse are drug related
• 41% of assaults and 64% of homicides are drug related
• A recent survey indicated that 47% of arrestees tested positive for cocaine usage
• 75% of rapists and 55% of their victims were drug impaired at the time of the rape.
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, due to mother's drinking during pregnancy, is among the three leading causes of birth defects
• It is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be more than four million cocaine addicted babies born in this country
• It is estimated that there are from 10 to 50 million children under the age of 18 living in alcoholic homes

Physical Well-Being

Alcohol and drug abuse have profound effects on the body. Prolonged and frequent alcohol and other drug use can lead to a general deterioration of health, and may impair the immune system which in turn increases the likelihood of contracting AIDS. The following are some of the possible serious medical consequences of alcohol and other drug usage:

• Heart failure
• Liver disease, i.e. hepatitis, cirrhosis
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Respiratory problems, e.g., chronic bronchitis, pneumonia
• Malnutrition
• High blood pressure
• Depression
• Suicide
• AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases, e.g., genital warts, herpes etc.

Sexuality

Because judgment, reasoning, communication and perception are all affected by alcohol and other drugs, one's substance choices may lead to such things as sexual exploitation, unwise choice of partners, unwanted pregnancies, and the increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. The sharing of needles, which is common among illicit drug users and also individuals who inject steroids as part of a training regimen, increase the risk of becoming infected with the HIV virus.

Drinking and Driving

• If you drink and drive you'll walk for 90 days! In Connecticut, a person is legally intoxicated when their blood alcohol content (BAC) reaches 0.10%. If you are arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, your license will be suspended for 90 days.
• Drunk driving is the #1 killer of teens. In Connecticut, 355 sixteen to nineteen year olds were killed as motor vehicle occupants from 1984-89. Drivers between 16 and 24 have twice as many fatal crashes per mile as older motorists. When alcohol is involved, their fatal crash rate is almost three times greater than older drivers.
• 38 to 50% of all fatal accidents involve alcohol
• 60% of all motorcycle fatalities involve alcohol
• 88% of all boating accidents that involve drowning involve alcohol
• 70% of all drowning involve alcohol
• 33% of all pedestrian accidents involve alcohol

College Campuses

• College students spend $4.2 billion annually on alcoholic beverages, even though most of them are too young to drink legally.
• Among those students currently enrolled in college, between 240,000 and 360,000 eventually will lose their lives due to drinking.
• The typical student spends more on alcohol than on textbooks.
• Binge drinking (a serious problem on college campuses) often results in problem behavior that can lead to violence, date rape, problems with police, and vandalism.

Source: Office of Substance Abuse Prevention, United States Department of Health & Human Services, May 1991 Bulletin – Take a Look at College Drinking.

Connecticut "Drugs Don't Work" Study Findings (1990)

• 86% of Connecticut's teenagers and 93% of its adults consider drugs a serious problem.
• Among Connecticut's adults, twice as many reported cocaine use during the past year vs. the national average (10% vs. 5% nationally).
• 67% of Connecticut teens stated that they had consumed alcoholic beverages within the past two weeks (vs. 54% nationally).