Most University students would dread attending another class on a Sunday morning, but if they’re caught consuming alcohol on campus, that’s exactly what they have to do.
For the past eight years, the University’s Substance Abuse Prevention Program has taught a variety of diversion classes to educate alcohol- and drug-consuming students on the dangers of their decisions. Authorities from University Housing and other campus systems refer students to the program if they’re caught with alcohol or less than an ounce of marijuana.
SAPP director Tom Favreau said the class first-time offenders take is a casual discussion rather than a formal lecture.
“It’s not so much a don’t-do-it-again kind of thing as much as it is a harm reduction class,” Favreau said. “It’s not a typical diversion thing where you watch gross movies or anything like that.”
Students who must take the three-hour class can opt to take it on a weekday or on a Sunday, depending on their schedule, and they can rest easy when they show up – there’s no test at the end.
“We’re really just there to give them some important information that might help them take a look at their behavior and poor judgment,” Favreau said.
Among the topics covered are the dangers of driving while impaired, the consequences of engaging in sexual activity while under the influence, and the proper ways to take care of an unconscious friend at a party.
“Most people don’t really know what to do when someone can’t be revived,” Favreau said. “They think, ‘Do we let him sleep it off? Roll him over? Keep him in bed? Put him in a warm shower?’ We give students some critical thinking about their rationale.”
Many students may groan at the thought, but the $25 they have to pay to take the class is a tiny fraction of the fine they would otherwise have to pay the Eugene Municipal Court. ASUO Legal Services Director Ilona Koleszar said first-time offenders normally pay about $175 if they choose not to enroll in a diversion class. Depending on the situation, minors could owe the court up to $250, or an offender’s driver’s license could be suspended.
Koleszar said students under the influence on campus may be more severely punished if the Department of Public Safety catches them. If they are compliant, first-time offenders will pay $50 to attend an 8-hour diversion class offered through the municipal court. If they aren’t, DPS may cite them to the court, where they will have to decide on a plea.
“You have to plead guilty to take the class, but some students want to defend the case and have many times won,” Koleszar said. “Most people will opt for the class because it’s a relatively small amount of money for just one Saturday.”
Like the University’s SAPP courses, the municipal court’s diversion class discusses issues relating to alcohol and drugs, including personal safety, sexually transmitted diseases and personal rights.
Students who commit more than one offense will face more serious consequences. If an authority figure refers a student to SAPP a second time, the student must pay $50 and sit through a “much more didactic” 8-hour diversion class with PowerPoint presentations and video clips taught by certified drug and alcohol counselors, said Favreau.
Koleszar said students who have already taken one alcohol diversion program through the Eugene Municipal Court are not eligible to take another and will be fined in full for the offense.
Student and SAPP member Michelle Fujii said the class first-time offenders take provides students with important and interesting information.
“I’ve seen some of the surveys people have filled out after they took the class,” Fujii said. “We’ve had a lot of good reviews. People say they’ve learned a lot of good information.”
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