5 Myths About Amnesty
September 06, 2024 Written by Jessica Downey | Photo by Evan Krape
The third annual Amnesty Awareness Week starts on Monday, September 9. Hosted by Community Standards & Conflict Resolution (CSCR), the week educates students on the amnesty and 鈥淕ood Samaritan鈥 process, which allows students to seek help or medical assistance due to intoxication, alcohol or drug overdose or hazing activities without repercussions.
The week isn鈥檛 just for first-year students and new Blue Hens; many 91原创 students still have misconceptions about how the amnesty process works. Below are five amnesty myths busted by CSCR.
MYTH #1: You can 鈥渃all amnesty鈥
鈥淎mnesty isn鈥檛 a person that you call,鈥 said CSCR Assistant Director Vincent Jackson. 鈥淲hen you call for help, amnesty is applied after鈥攊f you follow the right protocols.鈥
The process for receiving amnesty is call, stay, help. First, call 911 or a University official when you have a concern. Next, stay with the person who needs help if you鈥檙e calling on behalf of someone else, or stay in a safe location where you can be found. Finally, help by cooperating with emergency personnel by answering questions and following instructions. Remember, amnesty means conduct charges will not be filed, so answer honestly about alcohol or drug use so that the right measures are taken immediately.
Please note that amnesty will not be granted if you don鈥檛 stay with the student for whom you requested help OR if you don鈥檛 cooperate fully during the medical and investigative process.
MYTH #2: Amnesty only applies to one person at a time
The 鈥淕ood Samaritan鈥 clause of the amnesty protocol states that students that contact a University official and provide active assistance will not receive conduct charges related to behaviors associated with the granting of amnesty. That means if you鈥檙e drinking and you seek help on behalf of another student who has also been drinking, amnesty can be granted to both of you.
MYTH #3: You can only use amnesty on campus
When seeking help during a medical emergency, immunity is granted, even off campus. Amnesty is not only applied to the city of Newark, but in the state of Delaware; the grants criminal immunity for those who report drug overdoses.
MYTH #4: A drunk person can just 鈥渟leep it off鈥
Putting a drunk friend to bed to 鈥渟leep it off鈥 could be putting them in danger. A person can vomit while still asleep and suffocate, and sleep doesn鈥檛 remove the undigested alcohol from their system鈥攖heir blood alcohol can still rise and lead to alcohol poisoning.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 know their medical history or how their body is responding,鈥 said Jackson.
MYTH #5: You automatically go to the hospital
Some students assume that calling for help automatically means a trip to the hospital, which can be scary. However, that鈥檚 not always the case.
鈥淎 medical response is not an automatic trip to the ER,鈥 said Jackson. 鈥淓mergency responders will evaluate and determine the best course of action. It could result in being transported to the hospital for observation to make sure nothing worse happens, and that you鈥檙e going to be okay.鈥
To learn more about amnesty, look out for CSCR tabling events on campus starting Monday in Perkins and Trabant. Head to the Central Green on Thursday, September 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the . CSCR will have free snacks, t-shirts and reusable water bottles for participants in helpful activities like Naloxone training, impairment goggles with 91原创PD, a bystander intervention exercise and much more. CSCR will also be at .
For more information, visit udel.edu/cscr and check out the amnesty page.