ASU GETS AGGRESSIVE ABOUT DRUGS AFTER EDUCATION FAILS TO STEM USE

Because efforts to teach students about the perils of illegal drugs
aren't curtailing use, officials at Appalachian State University said
yesterday that they are taking a more aggressive approach toward
enforcing drug laws.

The new approach includes increased cooperation between the ASU
Police Department and other local law-enforcement agencies to reduce
the availability of narcotics.

"What we're finding is that the best way to address the drug problem
is to hold people accountable, said Gregory Blimling, ASU's vice
chancellor for student development.

In the past month and a half, joint undercover operations by the ASU
police, the Boone police and the Watauga County Sheriff's Office have
led to 11 arrests of current and former ASU students on drug
possession and trafficking charges.

The drugs involved include marijuana, cocaine, LSD and MDMA, also
known as Ecstasy. More arrests are pending, authorities said.

Students who have been arrested could be suspended or expelled,
school officials said.

"Appalachian has one of the most aggressive approaches to dealing
with this in the UNC system," Blimling said. "As a result, we have
been able to identify people that we believe threaten our community
by the sale of drugs."

The university's decision to refocus its approach to illegal drug use
comes as the number of drug violations on campus has started to
increase after falling last year to the lowest level in the past five
years.

In 1998-99, officials reported 118 drug violations on campus. In
1999-2000, there were 43.

Blimling attributes the decline to a school policy that allowed
officials to contact parents when students under 21 were caught with
alcohol or drugs.

Parents of students who are caught with alcohol are not notified
until the second offense.

So far this year, officials have reported 64 drug violations - not
including the 11 recent arrests.

Bob Shaffer, the associate vice chancellor for public affairs, said
that university administrators don't believe that illegal-drug use by
ASU students was greater than that found on other campuses.

"What we are trying to do is send a message," said Gunther Doerr, the
director of the ASU Police Department. "People shouldn't consider
campus a safe haven for illegal activity.