Substance Use Violations Increase

Numbers of on-campus drug and alcohol violations are increasing at Harvard, though at a rate slower than nationwide college rates, a survey shows.

The newly-released U.S. Department of Education survey shows a dramatic increase nationwide in violations—nearly 80 percent for drug and 25 percent for alcohol—from 1998-2000. The report studied violations at colleges throughout the country during the two-year period.

At local colleges like Tufts and Northeastern, the number of students reported for alcohol violations doubled and tripled during that time period, the survey says.

Increases in reported violations were not as extreme at Harvard, though alcohol violations rose from 49 in 1998 to 86 in 1999. They declined slightly to 77 in 2000.

Drug violations increased from two in 1998 to eight in 1999, before falling to three in 2000.

The nationwide spike in reported violationshas been attributed to better reporting methods by colleges rather than a spike in illegal activities, the survey says.

Harvard officials concurred, pointing to a combination of tighter enforcement and better education efforts by the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD), University Health Services (UHS) and Faculty of Arts and Sciences staff to explain the increase of on-campus violations.

UHS Director David S. Rosenthal ’59 said Harvard’s statistics reflect an increase in reported and self-reported drug and alcohol use.

“Overall, drinking issues have really not increased, but the number of students seeking help has gone up. That’s good news,” Rosenthal said.

He attributed students’ growing comfort with UHS to a better understanding of confidentiality policies for those seeking help for alcohol and drug use.

“Everyone is afraid that if they come in, it will get onto their academic record,” Rosenthal said. “The college has been really good about letting people know that isn’t true.”

Rosenthal also said Harvard’s lower rates of violations can be partly explained by students’ tendency to stay on campus while drinking, allowing themto stay in better control of their actions.