The Saint’s drug survey: anonymous?

On Monday, The Saint published an apparently anonymous drug survey, asking a number of drug-related questions. Questions about what drugs people have taken, whether they have ever sold drugs and what the effects of these drugs have been.

The Saint’s “anonymous” illegal drugs survey

However, Student Association President Chloe Hill sent an email to all students, encouraging them to think carefully about responding to the survey because the computer’s IP address is recorded when a respondent submits answers. ‘While the survey is advertised as anonymous, your IP address could theoretically be used to identify individuals,’ she wrote. Chloe also advises students to think before putting information on the internet which may affect them later in life.

Still, Chloe does not incriminate The Saint, insiting that ‘we do not believe The Saint is wilfully putting students in a potentially difficult situation,’ but still encourages students to be careful with regards to answering the questions.

On 11 Feb, The Saint published an editorial in response to Chloe’s email entitled, ‘We’re concerned about drugs. Isn’t the Students’ Association?’ The editorial affirms that while the IP addresses are recorded via survey response, an IP address “cannot reveal the individual who was using the computer at the time.”

The editorial defended The Saint’s concern about substance abuse in St Andrews and criticized Chloe’s email. “It is very unfortunate that this misguided email from the Association may deter people from completing the survey and in turn hinder our efforts to solve this problem,” The Saint wrote. “We think an open discussion is in everyone’s interests and we resent any attempt to stifle it.”

Images courtesy of The Saint