Dry campus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Dry campus" is the term used for the banning of alcohol at colleges and universities, regardless of the owner's age or intention to consume it elsewhere. The policy has received media attention in the United States, although dry campuses and debate regarding the switch from a "wet campus" to a dry one occurs in many other countries.
Currently, a Harvard University study states that one in three US college campuses are "dry" [1] although two-thirds of American undergraduate colleges students are of legal age to drink. [2] One of the most high-profile dry campus decrees came in late 2004, when a University of Oklahoma student died from alcohol poisoning following a party at the Sigma Chi fraternity. Upon national media attention, Sigma Chi moved off-campus, and the university instituted a "dry campus" policy for the entire on-campus student body effective from January 18, 2005.
Many private colleges institute "dry campus" rules as they may be affiliated with churches who would not condone such behavior in any circumstance. The most media attention tends to revolve around public colleges, where some students of legal age may resent interference in a matter that they feel is theirs to decide. In some states, laws exist which prohibit alcohol on all state property, including state college campuses.
