In 2008, students witnessed a classmate suffer a seizure in the middle of Mandarin class. When his belongings were searched, it was determined that he overdosed on illegal drugs dealt to him by an upperclassman. In response, Masters implemented a zero tolerance drugs and alcohol policy. Recently, however, several students have begun to draft proposals for alternative protocols. But while the current one-strike policy is not perfect and should certainly be refined, the safety of the broader Masters community depends on its continuation.

Teen experimentation with drugs and alcohol is common–that does not necessarily mean, however, that it should be allowed or encouraged in a school setting. In other words, although experimentation has become normalized, that doesn’t change the fact that drug use is a gateway to addiction, which inherently poses a threat to the health and safety of the entire community.

We must also remember that teenagers and young adults are not the only inhabitants of the Masters campus. At the very least, I’d like to think that creating a drug-free campus via the one-strike policy (or a variation of it) would be a symbol of respect to the parents who trust Masters with their middle school-aged children–not to mention the staff and faculty members who have chosen to live in the dorms with their young children.

In light of recent incidents, some students have argued that, “If so many students are facing disciplinary action, nobody is getting Sanctuary,” a policy that allows students who discover themselves or others in danger due to the use of drugs or alcohol to ask for help without incurring disciplinary consequences. It is not surprising that students feel this way–after all, confidentiality is the very basis of the Sanctuary policy. So in a way, the fact that students are discussing its lack of presence at all should be indicative of the success of the policy. In fact, the Sanctuary policy is used fairly often, and far more students enter Sanctuary than are expelled for violating the zero tolerance policy. Interim Dean of Students Jeff Carnevale confirmed that between 12 and 15 students typically utilize Sanctuary each year.

With a one-strike policy, students not struggling with addiction are incentivized against using drugs entirely, so as not to risk disciplinary infraction–and, perhaps more importantly, a zero tolerance policy provides a strong reason for those with substance abuse problems to seek help. True, this is far easier said than done, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Rather than implement a two-strike policy and hide the greater issue of addiction, Masters should work to destigmatize discussions of addiction and rehabilitation. A potential outlet for this could be first-year seminar classes. When I was in ninth grade, my entire grade was briefed by an administrator on the policy in one thirty-minute meeting–perhaps a more detailed discussion in smaller groups would have created a more focused environment in which students would feel more comfortable asking clarifying questions, or having more in-depth discussions about the concept of substance use and addiction as a whole.