Jordan Jacobo

In the wake of a large drug bust at San Diego State University on May 6, Linfield administrators and faculty are taking a closer look at the realities and implications of drug use on campus.

More than 75 students at the California university were arrested for involvement in a drug ring. About $100,000 worth of marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and prescription drugs was found during raids of three SDSU fraternity houses.

Last month at Reed College in Portland, a freshman was found dead in his dorm room from a heroine overdose. It was the second time heroine had been found at the school during this academic year.

These two incidents have sparked a discussion at Linfield about the prevalence of drug use.

Director of Campus Safety Mike Dressel said illicit drugs are a concern of his, whether or not they are on campus. In the past two years, LCS has encountered drugs several times.

“It’s a very small percentage of the student body we’ve become involved with,” Dressel said. “Drugs are here–to what level, I’m not sure. I’m not convinced it is going to be a high-volume issue for campus safety.”

Dressel said he could not envision a large-scale drug ring like the one at SDSU being present at Linfield. Campus safety’s priority is enforcing the policies of the college, not acting as a campus police, he said.

According to the 2007 Linfield Health Behavior Survey, 12 percent of students had smoked marijuana in the past 30 days. This percentage has been relatively steady since 2003.

Linfield’s usage rate has significantly dropped since 2001, when the survey showed 24 percent of students had smoked marijuana in the past 30 days.

Susan Chambers, adjunct professor of health and human performance, said the trends are often more important than the raw numbers. According to a comparative study of seven Oregon colleges and universities, Linfield has a much lower usage rate than other campuses.

“It’s a self-reported survey, so some people are going to underestimate and some will overestimate their actual use,” Chambers said. “But from year to year, populations will do that at the same rate.”

Chambers said marijuana is popular because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than most drugs.

Director of Residence Life Jeff Mackay said other drugs on campus, such as cocaine, heroine and methamphetamine, have low usage rates.

Mackay said illicit drug use is still a concern for the college.

Residence Life and campus safety have the right to search a room if it is suspected of holding drugs, Mackay said. Suspicion usually arises from the smell of marijuana smoke in a hall or because of complaints, he said.

Mackay said 14 students were cited for violating the college drug policy last year.

“Often times, when we run into those situations, and it’s apparent that marijuana is being used, the students are very cooperative and will simply hand over the paraphernalia and the drugs,” he said.

Mackay said the school only involves the McMinnville Police Department if it finds large-scale possession or evidence of distribution. This has not happened this year.

Drug violations are treated in conjunction with alcohol violations for students. A three-strike policy is used, and both drug and alcohol incidents are counted toward the three violations.

“It’s an educational process first and foremost,” Mackay said.