Annapolis, Md.
In response to a string of sexual assaults involving alcohol, the U.S. Naval Academy last week announced the strictest drinking rules of all the U.S. service academies. Midshipmen will now be subject to random Breathalyzer tests on weekends. Those who register above the legal limit for sobriety will be sent to substance-abuse counseling, and repeat offenders could face expulsion. Midshipmen are already given random drug tests, but drinking—including underage drinking—has seldom been punished unless it accompanied other offenses, such as drunken driving or assault. Sexual assault, in particular, has been a long-running problem at the service academies. Last year, Navy quarterback Lamar Owens was kicked off the team when he was charged with raping an underage female midshipman while she was drunk. He claimed the sex was consensual, and was acquitted.
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