In a policy change for the upcoming academic school year, the Student Code of Conduct Office has altered its drug violations division to include synthetic drugs and particular drug paraphernalia.
Synthetic marijuana, incense, bath salts and other manufactured drugs will join the list of banned substances on campus along with hookahs and additional smoking devices, weights, scales and rolling paper. Current code violations ban drug paraphernalia but fail to elaborate on specific devices.
“There has been a policy change primarily because synthetics have become an epidemic in recent years, and we had made these changes early in the fall 2012 semester but had not planned to put it into effect until we released a new Student Code of Conduct,” said assistant to the vice president for student affairs, Eric Summers. “Then of course we received word that we lost a student due to synthetic drug use so we thought that it was time to go ahead and implement the policy for the new academic year.”
Policy modifications are generally presented on July 1, the beginning of the new academic year. However, because of distinctive circumstances, the Student Code of Conduct Office has released the information beforehand to allow students to prepare, if necessary, for the changes according to Summers.
Owning, manufacturing or selling synthetic drugs or paraphernalia will carry a fine of $100 accompanied by mandatory counseling and disciplinary probation. Disciplinary probation is defined by the university as the “final warning status and a written reprimand for violation of specified regulations.”
Regardless of the ban, recent drug violations on campus or other university areas remain relatively low.
For the 2012-2013 academic year the Student Code of Conduct Office has adjudicated 25 cases involving drug violations. These violations only include illicit drugs, not synthetics.
While students agree synthetic drugs are damaging to the educational process and should be illegal to own or sell on campus, several disagree with the ban on hookahs and related paraphernalia specifically.
“I think that people should be able to own paraphernalia, but not drugs specifically if they live on campus because that’s their home too,” said freshman psychology major Jane Troescher. “If you already own paraphernalia I think that you should be able to have it, but not synthetic drugs.”
Other students explained mixed emotions on the policy change but understood its fundamental purposes.
“I can see the reasoning behind it,” said senior supply chain management major Aaron Matzky. “I’m not sure that it’s entirely necessary. I’m sure there are situations where it’s going to bother people who wouldn’t have been doing anything drug related with hookahs anyway, but I do understand the reasoning behind it.”
The university’s chief initiative for the upcoming academic year is to simply “get ahead of the epidemic” that involves designer drugs according to Summers.
The ban came after a raid by Hammond Police into The Float Dog in March of 2012. Police claimed they raided the store to seize a botanical sachet product which they said had led to the death of a local individual and could have traces to an illegal chemical agent.
Also following the ban is the Auburn University sports scandal which commanded a six month investigation by ESPN The Magazine and “E:60.” According to the investigation, roughly a dozen student football players failed drug tests for synthetic marijuana, commonly known as “spice.” The university only implemented testing for the designer drug after it had won the national championship, keeping the results under wraps.
With the rise of synthetic drugs, the Student Code of Conduct Office fears students will sell and use the drugs secretly rather than quitting altogether.
“The laws have caught up with it also, so I think that it will go underground,” said Summers. “We know that some of these things cause violent behavior and death. Using them creates such extremes so I think that it’s too dangerous for students to use [synthetic drugs] completely.”
Louisiana state law classifies controlled dangerous substances in five different categories, Schedule I, II, III, IV and V. Most recently added to Louisiana’s drug laws is the prohibition of a number of synthetic cannabinoids, which was signed into law by Gov. Jindal in July 2011.
However, the statewide initiative to classifying additional synthetic drugs has not ceased.
In the ongoing 2013 Louisiana Legislative session, House Bills 10 and 15 aim to tackle synthetic drugs. Together, the bills would categorize over two-dozen hallucinogens and a number of synthetic cannabinoids as Schedule I substances.
Both bills have passed in the House and now await confirmation in the Senate.