Ohio University is trying to save lives by overcoming student fears, at least when it comes to alcohol- and drug-related medical emergencies.
Last week, OU introduced the Medical Emergency Assistance program, which will allow a student to call for help in the case of a friend's drug or alcohol overdose without either of them facing automatic punishment from OU Judiciaries.
While many OU students would probably think that the consequences, no matter how dire, were worth facing to save a friend's life, one university-conducted survey found that 92 percent of students would not call 911 if they saw another student had passed out ' a disturbing statistic about students' sense of responsibility, to say the least. Maybe it's time for students to designate a caller, too.
Because fear of punishment may have contributed to students' reluctance to seek help, removing that obstacle is a wise move on OU's part. The limitations put on the program are smart as well. Students may receive amnesty only once, and they are still required to go through a $100 intervention program. This will prevent students' abusing the program as a total get-out-of-trouble-free card.
OU deserves credit for being proactive and putting saving lives above punishing students, and will hopefully do their best to promote and publicize the program. But policies can only do so much. It now falls on the shoulders of students to step up, use it and save a life.
As for those 92 percent of students, your friends are counting on you.
Editorials represent the views of The Post's executive editors.
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Amnesty program encourages students to step up, speak out
