21 arrests were made for drug violations in residence halls in 2004.

In 2005, there were 18.

In 2006, there were 2.

Crime Prevention Officer Art Mitchell of University Police Department said the decrease had little to do with any increased enforcement efforts on the part of the department.

“There hasn’t being any kind of massive crackdown on drug use by us,” he said.

Mitchell said he believes the drop can be attributed to either students fearing the punishments for drug violations or students learning how to better hide when they do use drugs.

He said the most commonly used drug he has seen in these violations is marijuana.

Mitchell said the majority of drug violations he has seen on campus come from inside residence halls and are reported by resident assistants or associate resident directors.

He said punishment in these cases is left in the hands of the Judicial Board.

Lindsay Gustin, associate resident director for Lincoln Hall, said the procedure for drug- use violations in the residence halls is for an RA and an assistant resident director to smell the marijuana smoke before calling UPD.

She said residents are informed about the rules against drug use on campus and in the residence halls at the beginning of each semester.

Gustin said she has served as an associate resident director for two years and has not reported drug violation in her residence hall.

Amber Skaverdi, Greek health education coordinator for the Health Education Resource Center, said she believes the decrease in drug violations can be attributed to the atmosphere of drug and alcohol education awareness Eastern Illinois University has created.

“We get to speak to a lot (of) students about drug use through several programs,” she said.

Skaverdi said she and other members of the Health Education Resource Center speak to students about substance abuse in university foundation courses and at various Greek chapter events.

“We try to meet the needs of all types of students,” she said.

Skaverdi said these discussions do mention the long-term effects of drug use. They focus mainly on the short-term effects because these are what students grasp onto when considering drugs.

Another program Skaverdi pointed to was the CRAWL – Choosing Responsibly and Within Limits – program.

Mike Tozer, counselor at the Counseling Center, was responsible for the formation of CRAWL when he started at Eastern four years ago.

Tozer, who has more than 20 years experience as a certified addiction counselor, said the CRAWL program is a prevention program focused on getting students to make informed decisions.

“We’re trying to offer students something effective within their scope of understanding,” he said.

Tozer said research that focuses on decision-making skills is most effective when dealing with college students.

He said many students who violate drug or alcohol policy are given the option of suspension or being part of CRAWL. Many choose CRAWL.

However, Tozer said students are welcome to take part in CRAWL even if they are not facing punishment. He said any students who think they have a drug or alcohol abuse problem are welcome to join CRAWL.

“They don’t have to be facing sanctions to be a part of this program,” he said.

Tozer was reluctant to point to one specific program or initiative as the cause of the drug violation decrease, but said he and the counseling center will continue trying to improve their substance abuse program to better assist students.

“We’re going to try and keep doing what remains effective,” he said.