Show Drug use could endanger federal loans Karen Neustadt Diana Smith CPS dope could cost SMOKING college students in more ways than one now Under a anew anew anew new government policy they could be barred from receiving receiving receiving ing federally financed loans and grants if convicted of drug possession or trafficking The Denial of Federal Benefits Program current currently y being publicized zed on US U.S. college college college col col- col- col lege campuses gives judges the discretion of putting student student student stu stu- stu- stu dent drug users sers or traffickers on a debarment list that excludes excludes ex ex- ex- ex eludes them from receiving more than benefits including including in in- cl ding loans or grants from the federal government What were we're hoping to dois discourage drug use use said Polly Williams a spokeswoman spokeswoman spokeswoman spokes spokes- woman for the Department of Justice Were hoping it will act as a deterrent However some student advocates advocates ad ad- voca es argue that the program program program pro pro- gram serves no purpose by denying drug users an tion They also criticized the effort as President Bushs Bush's attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt to present a tough drug anti-drug image without doing anything substantial about the problem of chemical chemical chemi chemi- cal dependency It is the ultimate contradiction contradiction contradiction con con- to deny people who need rehabilitation funding for their education said Eric Coppolino editor of the State University of New NewYork NewYork NewYork York Student Leader an activist activist activist ac ac- ac- ac student news service For one thing it simply al allows allows allows al- al lows rich kids to take all the drugs they want How many people wreck cars and kill people when they smoke pot There are three to five drunken driving deaths a day Liquor is legal Pot It is ridiculous The United States Student Association in Washington has lobbied against the pro pro- gram said Selena Dong legislative legislative legislative legis legis- director Were on a slippery slope said Dong who noted that an an drug anti-drug use waiver now accompanies all Pell Grant applications next You'll be denied benefits if you engage in premarital sex she asked The program was part of the Drug Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 After Bush gave the department the go-ahead go in 1990 the Justice Department established guidelines guidelines' and informed informed informed in in- formed state courts about the program With a system in place the Justice Department has launched a national awareness campaign In fact the government has hired a New York public relations firm to target campuses campuses campuses cam cam- throughout the nation said Br Brenda Burrows an account account account ac ac- count manager for Sr Well use direct mail and publicity city Well We'll be working with the schools also on TV and radio to let everybody know about it she said Among the federal benefits that could be jeopardized by a drug conviction are student Joans loans and grants federal aircraft and maritime licenses licenses licenses licen licen- ses the right to prescribe medicine or contract with the federal government Benefits such as Social Security retirement retirement retirement retire retire- ment and term long drug treatment are exempt Most drug offenders never serve prison terms and simple probation or fines are often not sufficient as punishment punishment punishment punish punish- ment Assistant Attorney General Jimmy Gurule said in announcing the program Were convinced that the drug user is an important link linkin linkin linkin in the nations nation's drug problem All users must be held accountable accountable accountable ac ac- ac- ac countable for their actions if the problem is to be eradicated eradicated eradicated Gurule added this program is part of the administrations administration's national drug control strategy which is designed to attack the nations nation's drug problem on multiple fronts in a comprehensive comprehensive com com- pr manner Williams said the names of people who were convicted of felonies such as rape or robbery robbery robbery rob rob- bery probably could be added to the debarment list but she didn't think it was a common practice The denial of federal benefits is aimed primarily at time first-time offenders in lieu of prison terms she said During the 90 1989 school year 48 million undergraduates undergraduates undergraduates under under- graduates or percent were receiving financial aid according to the most recent survey by the National Center for Education Statistics Because this is nearly one ne nein in every three undergraduates undergraduates undergraduates under under- graduates the-initiative the is expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to have great impact on US U.S. campuses Dong said the program smacks of unfairness It lilt is unfair to low-income low u. u s. s U 11 d o 0 0 P o 0 0 o oR R Ru u II IIA III A I 1 I people and hurting people who need financial aid D pong Dong ong said adding Education Education duca- duca tion is the lifeblood of peoples people's futures s. s The program allows for the denial of benefits for drug users for one Ole to 10 years Drug traffickers' traffickers benefits could be suspended up to five years for the first offense 10 years fora for a a second offense and permanently for a third con con- At the same time the US U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that drug use among high school seniors showed a significant significant significant sig sig- sig- sig decrease from 1990 to 1991 when use of illicit drugs dropped from 33 percent percent percent per per- cent to 29 percent Gene Guerrero an attorney attorney attorney ney with the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington said the program program program pro pro- gram was inappropriate because because be be- cause caus drug use a among ong young people is at t record low levels In our view the reason for that decline has had nothing to do with penalties but with public education efforts about keeping fi fit being healthy This opinion is shared by experts experts ex in the drug drug- abuse field he said Guerrero blasted the federal government for what he calls a double standard in that alcohol the Nol health problem on US U.S. campuses campuses campuses cam cam- is being ignored by the initiative initiative for what he calls other drugs Alcohol abuse is the most serious problem Its It's a glaring omission It ma makes es no sense If you care about the welfare of young people look at the alcohol problem he said Bush is trying to force his morality on people Coppolino Coppolino Coppolino Cop Cop- polino said Join the US U.S. Army if you really want to go goto goto goto to a a Ive I've heard the Navy isn't bad either |