Alcohol & Drugs

Indiana University’s Alcohol and Other Drug Program

The Drug-Free School and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 (enacted as Public Law 101-226) requires institutions of higher education to adopt and implement a program designed to prevent the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees or be ineligible to receive federal funds or any other form of federal financial assistance. In compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (41 U.S.C. § 8101 et seq.) and the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1011i), information about these programs must be provided to all IU students and employees.

Indiana University’s Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Program includes information about IU policies, state and federal laws, alcohol and drug health effects, and resources available for anyone concerned about alcohol and other drugs. Information similar to what is found on this site is also distributed electronically to all students and employees on an annual basis, consistent with federal law.

Indiana LifeLine Law

Under Indiana’s Lifeline Law, people younger than 21 who are under the influence of alcohol will not be prosecuted for crimes such as possession, intoxication or consumption of alcohol if they call 911 to seek medical help for another person or in cases of sexual assault, as long as they cooperate with police. The law also protects minors from legal consequences during an alcohol-related and/or substance-related emergency.

The Indiana Lifeline Law provides that a person is immune from arrest or prosecution for certain alcohol offenses if the arrest or prosecution is due to the person:

  • Reporting a medical emergency;
  • Being the victim of a sex offense; or
  • Witnessing and reporting what the person believes to be a crime.

It also establishes a mitigating circumstance for the sentencing of a person convicted of a controlled substance offense if the person’s arrest or prosecution was facilitated in part because the person requested emergency medical assistance for an individual in need of medical assistance due to the use of alcohol or a controlled substance. The Indiana Lifeline Law allows a court to defer entering a judgment of conviction for an individual arrested for an alcohol offense if the individual was arrested after a report that the person needed medical assistance due to the use of alcohol, if certain conditions are met.