The Drug Enforcement Administration arrested nearly 100 people in a sting operation at San Diego State University in California today. Officials arrested 75 students and 21 non-students on a variety of drug charges, including the sale of marijuana, Ecstasy and cocaine. The drug probe came in response to a student’s overdose in 2007.

The Drug Policy Alliance released the following statement by Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, deputy state director in Southern California:

“Overdose deaths are tragic and preventable—but not through sensationalistic drug busts and raids. The DEA’s massive show of force on campus will have no long-term impact on the availability of drugs at SDSU. Drugs will be just as available tomorrow as they were yesterday, but SDSU students will be no more knowledgeable about how to prevent a deadly overdose. Sadly, though, many of the college students arrested will have their prospects dimmed and will spend the rest of their lives being discriminated against for a felony drug conviction—some for just sharing marijuana with friends.”

“College students on any campus in this country are easy pickings. But these types of arrests are not the best use of the DEA’s resources. They should be targeting large-scale traffickers and distributors.”

“To prevent overdose, the school should encourage students to know how to monitor their consumption, be aware of the signs of an overdose and know what to do if they or someone else appears to be overdosing. Following these raids, it’s very likely that SDSU students will actually be less likely to call for help if someone is experiencing an overdose, for fear of prosecution.”