New alcohol prevention class clears MIP fines
■ Students who have been
cited for MIPs can now clean
up their acts as well as their
records in BUSTED I.
By Emily Gust
Oregon Daily Emerald
It’s Friday night. A group of
friends ate doing what a lot of col
lege students do when this night
rolls around: partying. The under
age revelers are consuming alcohol,
but then suddenly everyone falls
silent and all eyes turn toward the
door. As someone receives a minor
in possession citation, her buddies
realize that despite their attempts to
avoid such a situation, they’ve been
BUSTED.
Starting today, the University’s
Substance Abuse and Prevention
Program, in conjunction with the
Eugene Municipal Court and the
Eugene Police Department, is put
ting a whole new twist to that word:
BUSTED now stands for Beginning
Underage Success Through Educa
tional Diversion — and a chance for
minors caught with a heady brew to
earn college credit.
BUSTED I is a one-credit class
with the goals of prevention and ed
ucation of alcohol-related issues.
For 18- to 20-year-olds, it’s a new
chance to avoid paying hefty fines
for their MIPs or citations for unlaw
ful alcohol consumption on private
premises or for furnishing liquor to
minors.
“We actually never tell folks that
they shouldn’t drink. We advocate
how to do that in the safest way pos
sible. The emphasis of the course is
choices,” said Miki Mace, adminis
trator for SAPP. “It’s a course that es
sentially talks about health and safe
ty issues and risk reduction.”
Now in its pilot year, the diver
sion program allows first-time of
fenders to trade the traditional fine
for an educational experience, but
only if they have not already taken
the University’s Drinking Decisions
course, a class similar to BUSTED.
Those cited may plead guilty to
the charge, attend BUSTED I — a 10
hour class at the University — and
pay court costs of $50, as well as a
University fee of $35.
If offenders successfully com
plete the course and refrain from al
cohol-related offenses during the
following four months, fines and as
sessments for the relevant violation
will be suspended, the case will be
dismissed and their records will
show no evidence of a conviction,
said Char Mauch, Eugene Munici
pal Court Supervisor. Participants
also have the option of earning cred
it for their time in BUSTED I. They
will, however, need to complete ad
ditional tasks in the course, such as
keeping a journal, research papers,
We actually never tell
folks that they shouldn’t
drink. We advocate how to
do that in the safest way
possible. The emphasis of
the course is choices.
Miki Mace,
administrator for SAPP
projects, observation papers or all
of the above.
The diversion program is not only
for University students who have re
ceived citations. It is an option avail
able to all 18- to 20-year-olds in Eu
gene wtfio have been charged.
Fines and assessments for an MIP
range from a minimum of $175 to a
maximum of $309, Mauch said. If
an offender opts for the diversion
program, he or she would most like
ly end up paying $85 for court and
University fees.
The program stems from a three
fold increase in the MIP caseload be
tween 1997 and 1999. In 1997, the
Eugene Municipal Court received
505 cases; in 1999, the number
jumped to 1510, Mauch said.
“What we noticed is that some of
the same people were being cited,”
Mace said. “So it became apparent
that fines don’t necessarily work.”
Last November, EPD Officer Julie
Smith suggested that the court and
SAPP work together in developing
an educational program for under
age alcohol-related offenses. Similar
educational programs exist for driv
ing under the influence and theft,
Mauch said.
“I think that it’s a good option,”
junior psychology major Emily
Garten said. “What can it hurt? And
also, spending time in a class, you’ll
learn more than just by giving mon
ey-”
Learning is exactly the aim of the
course, which works on raising
awareness rather than punishing for
past offenses.
“The real goal is to reduce risk to
the person,” Mace said. “We talk
about biological, sociological, psy
chological and physical risks sur
rounding alcohol use and abuse. We
like for people to understand the dif
ference — because there is a differ
ence — between use and abuse. ”
She added that organizers also
want people to know the long-term
effects of alcohol on the body.
"We like them to know about
craving and addiction. We like them
to know how to keep themselves
safe if they choose to drink,” she
said.
Drinking Decisions, developed in
1996, will continue to he offered
even as BUSTED I begins.
“Our experience with Drinking
Decisions is students report drink
ing fewer drinks at one sitting,”
Mace said. “They also report they’re
more aware of health and safety is
sues.”
For repeat offenders, there will be
the option of taking a second class,
BUSTED II. While specifics are still
being worked out, it seems the
course will be twice the number of
hours, and only a portion of the
fines will be suspended if the pro
gram is completed successfully.
MIP Diversion Program
The new Minor In Possession Diversion Program allows
students to take a one-credit class in lieu of paying the
fine for an MIP. The program was created in response
to the increased MIP caseload in the past three years.
Number of MIPs
1400
SOURCE: Eugene Municipal Court & UO Registrar Office
Russ Weller Emerald
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