Abby Peschges/Winonan

Students have been pushing for Minnesota legislation to give immunity to minors who are seeking assistance for another while under the influence.

Winona State University students already have medical amnesty from the university, but are still able to be ticketed by police.

Going into effect in April of last year, the campus policy was meant to promote students to take responsibility and get others the help they need.

Currently the bill has passed three legislative committees and is waiting to be passed by the full House and Senate this spring.

University of Minnesota student Matt Forstie was one of the students who have been working with the legislators on the bill. “This effort is important to me because it makes a statement about putting the safety of young people first,” Forstie said.

Originally, the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association was against the bill with the fear that it might promote underage drinking.

The Association has since supported the bill since the language was amended to state that the minor must be either receiving the medical assistance or the one who made the 911 call and stayed until emergency personnel arrived.

Forstie said, “We know that young people often hesitate or fail to call 911 when it’s needed, and this is a tested and proven solution to that problem.”

Currently, ten states and hundreds of colleges and universities have medical amnesty. Rochester’s mayor, Ardell Brede, Minneapolis city council president, Barbara Johnson, and Saint Paul city council president, Kathy Lantry, are in support of the bill.

Cornell University was one of the first colleges to have medical amnesty and has found that the number of alcohol-related emergency calls has increased twice as much, while the rate of drinking underage has stayed constant.

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