MIP’s on the rise at Utah State

There have been a total of 17 incidents involving minors in possession (MIP) since the beginning of August. Many of the incidents reported by the USU Campus Police have involved multiple charges to students with MIP.

“Since the beginning of last year we have seen a marked increase in the number of arrests for incidents of minors in possession of alcohol,” said Steven Mecham, chief of the USU Police Department.

“It seems like every year the new freshman class brings their own personality,” Mecham said. “It seems like last year we had a lot of kids that wanted to try alcohol. I guess and it is carrying on to this year.”

The Utah State University website defines Utah’s MIP law: “It is unlawful for any person under the age of 21 years to purchase, attempt to purchase, solicit another person to purchase, possess, or consume any alcoholic beverage or product. The maximum penalty is six months imprisonment and/or $1,000 fine plus suspension of driver’s license up to one year; Class B misdemeanor.”

“I would say that 17 incidents so far are about normal,” said Ryan Barfuss, USU’s drug and alcohol prevention specialist. “Last year was really crazy but this year we are staying just a little above the normal rate of MIPs. There are some years that are really quiet and then there are really crazy ones like last year.”

USU students that are charged with MIP are typically: given a court fine of $525; put on probation for 6-12 months (which associated fees); put through a Project Reality class at the Cache County Jail; perform and pay for community service; must get a letter from their parents acknowledging the charge; can be suspended from the university for recurring charges and are put through Barfuss’s Prime for Life class.

“If a student is mandated to take the class there are four required classes that are usually two hours long,” Barfuss said. “We teach a curriculum that is called Prime for Life. It is a risk reduction class. It is more than just talking about what alcohol does to the body; it goes into decision making skills and the choices and consequences that accompany alcohol.”

According to Barfuss, when the number of MIP’s increase, sexual crimes increase as well. All five of the sexual assault/rape cases reported to the Health and Wellness Center were alcohol related.

“Of the sexual assaults and rapes that we had last year 100% were alcohol related. The number nationally is only 75%,” Barfuss said. “Alcohol is the number one weapon of choice when it comes to sexual assault and rape, especially here at Utah State.”

Barfuss said 80% of USU students do not drink at all. Of the 20% of students that do drink, only five to eight percent drink dangerous amounts of alcohol. He also said it is a misconception that out of state students are charged with MIP more than instate students are.

“We looked into the causes of the increase of MIP’s last year and what we found was that it was about 50/50 of MIP’s for instate and out of state,” Barfuss said. “Though this year there have definitely been more out of state students.”

Barfuss said while out-of-state students have been drinking longer and more, it is the instate students whose health will suffer more due to their drinking, with many succumbing to alcohol poisoning.

“The instate students usually come from a background where they never drank or their parents never drank and they come here and they try to keep up with their peers,” Barfuss said. “They say things like ‘You did five shots? I’ll do five shots!’ They don’t know what they’re doing and make mistakes, like binge drinking or drinking while on an empty stomach.”

Sierra West, a senior majoring in family consumer science education, is currently seeing out the last month of her court mandated probation for her MIP charge in February. While Barfuss said that the typical MIP fines can add up to $800-$1000, West has had to pay considerably more.

“Overall I have paid almost $2000 for my MIP and everything associated with it,” West said. “I thought a lot of it was overkill because I am not an alcoholic by any means. I always drink very responsibly; my blood alcohol content was only .017 that night, not even enough to be charged with a DUI, so I thought it was silly.”

West, like many out-of-state and international students, must adjust to the change of law and culture surrounding alcohol when they come to USU.

“I come from a completely different culture,” West said. “I am from Wyoming and when I got drunk underage back then the cops would pick me up and drive me home and that was it.”

Mecham stands by Utah’s stringent alcohol laws and the no tolerance policy of his department.

“We try to work together to get the word out because we would just rather not make these arrests,” Mecham said. “We take a low tolerance to minors in possession. We believe that if we can get them stopped early that will help them in the future because alcohol can be devastating for students.”

Both the campus police and Barfuss’ prevention office will be involved in the production of the USU Alcohol Awareness Week, which will take place October 27-31.