Drug-Free Schools Act | Student Rights and Responsibilities | SIU

To receive federal financial assistance of any kind, all institutions of higher education must certify that they have "adopted and implemented a program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees."

This certification is mandated by the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act Amendments of 1989. The requirements of the law are separate and distinct from the requirements specified by the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, which relate only to employees (including student workers) involved in work supported by or paid from federal grants and contracts.

The rules under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act are much broader in scope, covering drugs and alcohol, students and employees, on university property or as part of university activities. The use, including the sale, delivery, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in or on property owned or controlled by the university or as part of any university activity, is strictly prohibited except as otherwise provided in the university’s Alcoholic Beverages: Regulations policy.