Are You in Your Green Zone?

By Louis Odette | Thursday, October 23, 2003

Over the past few weeks, it has been hard not to notice bright green signs and pamphlets, in Thayer and the Hop, advertising something called the "Green Zone." What, you may well wonder, is your "Green Zone"? According to the advertisements, it is a state in which your Blood Alcohol Concentration is below the level of .06, which is achieved at between 1 and 2 drinks for women and 2-3 for men. At this BAC, you are drinking responsibly and "your risk of alcohol-related complications is reduced."

The organization behind this campaign is the Alcohol and Other Drugs Program, the same Parkhurst-sanctioned organization that brought us mandatory alcohol education, mandatory server-monitor-host training, and—who can forget—the patronizing Social Norms campaign.

While this is a valiant effort on the part of the administration, it sends conflicting messages to the student body. According to a 2000 statement by the Board of Trustees, they are committed to "eliminat[ing] the abuse and unsafe use of alcohol at Dartmouth." However, some of the disciplinary policies go far beyond this noble purpose, hinting at another goal: completely eliminating alcohol use on campus.

Approximately 3/4 of the Dartmouth undergraduate community is below the legal drinking age in the state of New Hampshire. Since college alcohol policy complies with "federal, state, and local laws," this means that the college discourages all underage drinking and provides penalties for such violations. Whether or not this does anything to stop the widespread underage drinking and availability of alcohol on campus is another story, but at least the college makes its position clear.

However, when it comes to that 25% of the student body that is of legal drinking age, the college puts out no clear message. The Alcohol Policy claims that the College complies with the laws of the state of New Hampshire, but there are several key differences to note.

Although there is no quantitative definition of intoxication, both state law and college policy describe certain "generally reliable signs" for determining intoxication. That is where the similarities end. In a 1980's NH Supreme Court decision, Weldy vs. Kingston, it was decided that "formal intoxication is a disease," and therefore should carry with it no criminal charges. However, the college seems to believe that both a disciplinary reprimand and a fine are merited. There is also a referral to a one-hour group education session, a nod to the notion that excessive drinking may actually be a disease—and not simply a policy violation.

In addition, there is much confusion surrounding the BAC levels used by the state of New Hampshire and the College to determine intoxication in varying circumstances. On the Green Zone pamphlets, the AOD Program states that you are drinking responsibly any time your BAC is below .06. However, if a student is picked up by Safety and Security and brought to Dick's House for intoxication, he is required to remain there until his BAC drops below .05. Therefore, it would theoretically be possible for a student of legal drinking age to be picked up based on "generally reliable signs" and detained at Dick's House when his BAC is between .05 and .06 and he is therefore "drinking responsibly."

Another interesting fact to note is that in the state of New Hampshire, an individual over 21 years of age is legally allowed to operate a motor vehicle if his BAC is below .08. Due to this discrepancy, the following situation is feasible. A student could be pulled over by Hanover Police, found with a BAC of .07, and let go since that level is below the legal limit. However, if an S&S officer happened to be walking by, he could force the student to go to Dick's House until his BAC dropped. The student would then have to meet with a Dean, receive a reprimand, pay a $50 fine, and go to a counseling session, all while below the legal BAC for driving.

From this information, it is clear to see that there is more than a little wrong with the college alcohol policy. For one, it holds underage students to an unrealistic standard, but, then again, so does state law. However, the College goes well beyond the call of duty in complying with NH Law for of-age students, imposing penalties deemed unnecessary by the NH Supreme court, and creating a new (and much lower) standard for acceptable Blood Alcohol Concentrations.

Are You in Your Green Zone?

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