27.3 Standards of Conduct Tennessee Technological University employees and students are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, use or being under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol on the university campus, and at off-campus facilities owned or controlled by the university. Various federal, state and local statutes make it unlawful to manufacture, distribute, dispense, deliver, sell or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, dispense, deliver or sell controlled substances. The penalty imposed depends upon many factors which include the type and amount of controlled substance involved, the number or prior offenses, if any, whether death or serious bodily injury resulted from the use of such substance and whether any other crimes were committed in connection with the use of the controlled substance. Repeat offenders may be punished to a greater extent as provided by statute. Every drug, including alcohol, is a potential poison which may cause disability and death if it is taken incorrectly into the body, consumed in wrong amounts or mixed indiscriminately with other drugs.
Drugs cause physical and emotional dependence.
Drugs and their harmful side effects can remain in the body long after use has stopped. The extent to which a drug is retained in the body depends on the drug's chemical composition, that is whether or not it is fat-soluble. As a result, they build up in the fatty parts of the body such as the brain and reproductive system. Such accumulations of drugs and their slow release over time may cause delayed effects weeks, months and even years after drug use has stopped. Such use during pregnancy may cause spontaneous abortion, various birth defects or fetal alcohol syndrome.