Alcohol and Drug Local, State, and Federal Laws
On all its campuses, Emory University and Emory Healthcare adhere to and enforce all state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances concerning the use, manufacture, possession, consumption, sale, or distribution of alcohol, illegal drugs, and controlled substances. Emory University and Emory Healthcare expects all faculty, staff, and students to comply with any applicable federal, state, or local laws pertaining to the use, possession, manufacture, dispensation or distribution of alcohol, controlled substances, or illegal drugs and comply with Emory University’s Substance Abuse and Drug Free Workplace policy (Policy 4.66); and, Emory Healthcare’s Substance Misuse Policy as appropriate.
Members of the campus community are responsible for being fully aware of applicable policy, as well as local, state, and federal laws regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs. Alcohol and drug misuse and abuse can be detrimental to one’s overall physical and emotional health, as well as academic and/or professional work performance. It is illegal and prohibited by the University for an individual to unlawfully manufacture, possess, use, dispense, sell, or distribute controlled substances or illegal drugs (as defined by state and federal law) on all Emory University property. Any member of the Emory University faculty, staff, student body, or other member of the Emory University community who violates any of the Standards of Conduct shall be subject to corrective disciplinary actions and penalties up to and including expulsion from University academic programs, termination of employment, and referral to the appropriate federal, state, or local authorities for prosecution in the courts.
Emory University’s Alcohol and Drug abuse policy, Policy 8.8, expresses the University’s commitment to the health and well-being of its faculty, staff, and student body. As a recipient of federal grants and contracts, Emory University adheres to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (as amended) and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. As administrator of certain state-funded financial aid programs for students, Emory University also adheres to Georgia’s Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990.
The legal drinking age in Georgia is 21 years of age (O.C.G.A § 3-3-23). With some very limited exceptions under Georgia law (involving medical reasons, a religious ceremony or permission by a parent who is in a minor’s presence), a person under the age of 21 who purchases or knowingly possesses an alcoholic beverage is in violation of state law and University policy. Similarly, any person who furnishes an alcoholic beverage to a person under 21 years of age is also in violation.
Alcohol is not permitted in the common areas of residence halls at the University’s Atlanta campus, and Campus Life prescribes several additional rules, regulations and requirements by which students and University organizations must abide regarding the serving of alcohol at various events. Use of alcohol at university-sponsored events is permitted in accordance with the procedures outlined in Policy 8.8 and applicable federal, state, and local law. Environmental management strategies and risk management strategies are used for on-campus events with alcohol.
At Oxford College, students are prohibited from on-campus possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages because most Oxford College students are underage.
Undergraduate students who undergo the Medical Amnesty protocol for an alcohol or other drug related medical emergency are connected to substance abuse prevention services. These include sessions with a Licensed Professional Counselor that are informed by Brief Motivational Interviewing and/or the online module e-Check up to Go which is a personalized, evidence-based online prevention program with a mandated feedback session.
Graduate and professional students who violate Policy 8.8 are referred to the established disciplinary body of the school in which the student is enrolled, and undergraduate students are referred to the Office of Community Standards and Education on the Atlanta campus or the Office of Residential Education and Services on the Oxford campus. All these established disciplinary bodies shall have the authority to make appropriate referrals and to impose on the student and student organizations such sanctions for violations of the policy as it may deem appropriate, including, but not limited to, participating in educational programs, parental notification, and/or loss of privileges.
All drug and alcohol-abuse education programs are outlined in the programming section located on page 51.
Under State of Georgia Laws and local city/county ordinances, the following laws pertain to alcohol, illegal drugs, and controlled substances:
OCGA Code Section | Description |
| OCGA § 16-11-41 Public Drunkenness | Unlawful for an intoxicated person to be in a public place or on another's private property without invitation, where the behavior is boisterous, indecent, vulgar, profane, loud or unbecoming. |
OCGA §3-3-23 Minor in Possession of Alcohol | Unlawful to knowingly furnish, purchase, act as an agent to purchase any alcoholic beverage to any person under 21 years of age. No person under 21 years of age shall misrepresent his or her identity or use any false identification for the purpose of purchasing or obtaining any alcoholic beverage. |
OCGA §40-6-391 Driving Under the Influence | Unlawful to drive or be in actual physical control of any moving vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drug, glue, aerosol, or other toxic vapor to the extent that it is less safe to drive; person’s alcohol concentration is .08 grams or more at any time within three hours after such driving or being in actual physical control from alcohol; or any amount of marijuana or a controlled substance present in blood, urine or both. |
OCGA §40-6-253 Consumption of Alcoholic Beverage or Possession of Open Container of Alcoholic Beverage in Passenger Area | Unlawful to consume any alcoholic beverage or possess any open alcoholic beverage container in the passenger area of any motor vehicle which is on the roadway or shoulder of any public highway. |
OCGA §16-13-1 Drug Related Objects | Unlawful for minor to possess any drug related object meaning any machine, instrument, tool, equipment, contrivance, or device which an average person would reasonably conclude is intended to be used to introduce a drug into the body, enhance the effect of a drug, conceal the quantity of the drug, or test the strength/effectiveness/purity of a drug. |
OCGA §16-13-3 Abandonment of dangerous drugs, poisons or controlled substances | Unlawful for a person to abandon, in a public place, any dangerous drug, poison, or controlled substance |
OCGA §16-13-20 through 16-13-29 Georgia Controlled Substances Act | Describes the different scheduling of drugs, the names of drugs that fall within each schedule, and the penalties of each. |
OCGA §16-13-30 Purchase, Possession, Manufacture, Distribution, or Sale of Controlled Substances or Marijuana; Penalties | Unlawful for any person to purchase, possess, manufacture, deliver, distribute, dispense, administer, sell, or have under their control any controlled substance including marijuana. |
OCGA §16-13-30.1 Unlawful manufacture, delivery, distribution, possession, or sale of noncontrolled substances | Unlawful for any person knowingly to manufacture, deliver, distribute, dispense, possess with the intent to distribute, or sell a noncontrolled substance upon either a representation that it is a narcotic or nonnarcotic controlled substance; it appears or is represented to be a narcotic or nonnarcotic controlled substance, or if the implied representation is that the drug presented is essentially the same pharmacological action or effect as a controlled substance. |
OCGA §16-13-30.2 Unlawful manufacture, or possession with intent to distribute of imitation controlled substances | Unlawful for any person to knowingly manufacture, distribute, or possess imitation controlled substances |
OCGA §16-13-30.3 Possession of substances containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine | Unlawful for any person to possess any amount of a substances set forth in this code section with the intent to manufacture amphetamine or methamphetamine. |
OCGA §16-13-30.4 Licenses for sale, transfer, or purchase for resale of products containing pseudoephedrine | Unlawful to possess, sell, transfer or furnish a product containing pseudoephedrine with the knowledge that the substance will be used in the unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance. |
OCGA §16-13-30.5 Possession of substances with intent to use or convey such substances for the manufacture of Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances | Unlawful to possess any substance with the intent to use the substance to manufacture a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance |
OCGA §16-13-31 Trafficking in cocaine, illegal drugs, marijuana, or methamphetamine | Unlawful to knowingly sell, manufacture, deliver, or bring into the state or who is knowingly in possession of 28 grams or more of cocaine or of any mixture with a purity of 10% or more of cocaine. Unlawful to knowingly sell, manufacture, deliver, bring into this state, or possess 4 grams or more of any morphine, opium, or heroin. Unlawful to knowingly sell, manufacture, grow, deliver, bring into this state, or possess 10 pounds or more of marijuana is considered trafficking. Unlawful to knowingly sell, manufacture, deliver or bring into this state 200 grams or more of methaqualone is considered trafficking. Unlawful to knowingly sell, deliver, or brings into the state, or possess 28 grams or more of methamphetamine, amphetamine, or any mixture is considered trafficking. Unlawful to knowingly manufacture methamphetamine, amphetamine, or a mixture is considered trafficking. |
OCGA §16-13-30.6 | Unlawful for a person to sell, deliver, distribute, or provide a minor, or knowingly possess with intent to sell to a minor, any marijuana flavored product, or for a minor to falsely represent their age with intent to purchase a marijuana flavored product. |
OCGA §16-13-72 Sale, distribution, or possession of dangerous drug | Unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or association to sell, give away, barter, exchange, distribute, or possess any dangerous drug. |
Federal Drug Trafficking Penalties Chart
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Federal Trafficking Penalties for Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V and the Federal Trafficking Penalties for Marijuana, Hashish, and Hashish Oil, Schedule I substances can be found on the USDOJ website at: https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/Drugs-Abuse-2024.pdf
Controlled Substances Uses & Effects Chart
The National Institute on Drug Abuse Commonly Abused Drugs Chart can be found on the National Institute of Health (NIH) website at https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/commonly-used-drugs-charts. The chart can also be downloaded at https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/cadchart.pdf.