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EA R5 (2016-2017): Endorsing The Ithaca Plan: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drugs and Drug Policy

Adopted by the Assembly

  • Resolution:
    EA R5 (2016-2017): Endorsing The Ithaca Plan: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drugs and Drug Policy
  • Day:
    May 19, 2017
  • Action:
    Adopted by the Assembly
  • Summary / Notes:
    Passed 5-1-10
  • File Attachments:
  • Text Attachment:
    EA R5: Endorsing “The Ithaca Plan: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drugs and Drug Policy”
    Abstract: This resolution is a show of community support and UA endorsement for the proposed “Ithaca Plan” to address opiate addiction in Ithaca, NY.
    Sponsored by: Jeramy Kruser, Research and Technology Transfer Representative, Employee Assembly; Linda Copman, Employee; University Assembly;
    Reviewed by: Executive Committee, 11/02/2016
    Whereas, the University community recognizes the critical need to address issues of campus safety, in the wake of separate stabbing incidents on or near campus this semester, at least one of which involved the sale of drugs; and

    Whereas, in fall 2015, the Office of Institutional Research and Planning recorded that there were a total of 32,076 people working or studying at Cornell, which is slightly more than the total population of the City of Ithaca (30,788 persons), and nearly one third of the total population of Tompkins County (104,926 persons) according to U.S. Census data for July 2015; and

    Whereas, the vast majority of Cornell students, faculty, and staff live off-campus in the City of Ithaca and in surrounding communities, where they utilize and depend upon the healthcare and criminal justice services and systems provided by these communities; and

    Whereas, members of the Cornell community are suffering from drug addiction and it often falls to the staff of the University, including medical, counseling, student affairs, and custodial staff, to cope with the impacts of drug use—such as overdose, problems with academics, and missed days of school or work; and

    Whereas, the University administration has expressed support for strengthening our relationships with the public safety and law enforcement agencies in the City of Ithaca and surrounding communities, as one important means to bolster campus health and safety; and

    Whereas, in April 2014, City of Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick convened the Municipal Drug Policy Community and charged this group with recommending policies and practices we could adopt to improve our local response to drug use and related policies; and

    Whereas, in February 2016, the Municipal Drug Policy Community, comprised of experts and leaders from the various sectors that respond to drug use in our community, including representatives from the University, released its report outlining a coordinated drug strategy which is rooted in public health and safety; and

    Whereas, it is the opinion of these experts that if the Ithaca Plan is fully implemented, then recovery rates will increase, fatal overdoses will decrease, and public health and safety in our community will improve; and

    Whereas, the Campus Welfare Committee of the University Assembly formally considered the findings and recommendations of the Municipal Drug Policy Community on October 25, 2016, and it was the consensus of the group to endorse these finding and recommendations; therefore

    Be it resolved, that the University Assembly formally endorses the goals and recommendations outlined in the Executive Summary of “The Ithaca Plan: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drugs and Drug Policy,” namely:

    • Governance and Leadership
    Create a mayoral-level office tasked to reduce the morbidity, mortality, cost, and inequities associated with illicit drugs and our current responses to them.
    • Education
    Key stakeholders and all Ithacans should have access to evidence-based practices and education around drugs, preventing problematic use, reducing harms associated with drug use, and helping oneself or others who have a drug use problem.
    • Recovery-Oriented Treatment, Harm Reduction, and Ancillary Services
    Create a recovery-oriented treatment continuum that offers access to timely, individualized, and evidence-based, effective care, through services that are people-centered and able to meet the needs of individuals no matter their current relationship to drug use or recovery.
    • Community and Economic Development
    Support and expand existing efforts to improve youth and family development, economic
    opportunity, and public health of communities, targeting vulnerable communities as immediate beneficiaries and ensuring that all Ithacans have the same access to resources and investments.
    • Public Safety
    Redirect law enforcement and community resources from criminalization to increasing access to services. Encourage a shared responsibility for community health and safety that extends beyond the Ithaca Police Department.

    Resolved, that the University administration should partner with the City of Ithaca to advocate for approval of The Ithaca Plan in the upcoming 2017 legislative session and to support the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the Plan; and

    Be it Finally Resolved, that the University administration and the City of Ithaca should formally present a status update on progress made toward achieving the goals of The Ithaca Plan to the University Assembly by October 2017, and on an annual basis every October thereafter until the goals outlined above been achieved.

    Adopted by Vote of the Assembly May 17, 2016,
    Respectfully Submitted,
    Linda Copman, Employee; University Assembly;
    Jeramy Kruser, Research and Technology Transfer Representative, Employee Assembly;