Under-age college drinkers targeted

WASHINGTON - Congress has approved legislation that would allow colleges to notify parents when students younger than 21 commit an alcohol or drug violation, a measure sparked by a string of five alcohol-related deaths on Virginia campuses last fall.

The bill, which passed the Senate on Tuesday and the House on Monday, needs only President Clinton's signature to become law. Clinton said he is likely to sign the measure.

Current federal law prohibits universities from disclosing their records on students 18 and older, and most schools interpreted that to mean that they could not notify parents about a student's drug and alcohol use.

A Virginia task force on college drinking, led by state Attorney General Mark Earley, a Republican, recommended in July that Congress exempt drug and alcohol records from the privacy requirement. Advocates of the change argued that many parents have no idea their children are abusing drugs or alcohol and thus can't intervene to help them. Some advocates also said that students might think twice about such behavior if they knew that their parents would be told.

Under the measure passed by Congress, colleges would be allowed to tell parents not only about student violations of alcohol and drug laws, but also about violations of the schools' own rules against drinking and drug use.

Some privacy advocates criticized the legislation, saying that it strips young adults of their rights.

"It's a ridiculous amendment," said David Banisar, the policy director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "Even drug and alcohol violations shouldn't override an adult's right to privacy. An adult student for better or worse is still an adult. ... This amendment would basically be turning the university into a babysitter for them."

But Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) who sponsored the amendment at Earley's request, argued that some restrictions on privacy rights are appropriate.

"I just felt we had to make an exception, as much as I believe in personal freedom," Warner said.

"These situations not only jeopardize the health of the person who consumes too much alcohol, but that individual in turn can do harm to others. Why shouldn't a parent be brought in?"

Warner and Earley both said they will encourage Virginia's state colleges and universities to implement the new policy as soon as the bill becomes law.

10-01-98