DRUG
TESTING IN SCHOOLS
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Should
Schools Test Children For Illegal Drugs?
It is an important question,
and ultimately one best left to parents, teachers, and school administrators.
There is no single right or wrong answer, no “one size fits all”
solution. A decision in June 2002 by the U.S. Supreme Court expands the
authority of public schools to test students for drugs. Still, it is up
to individual communities and schools to decide if drugs are a significant
threat, and if testing is an appropriate response.
The question of whether to test students for drugs or alcohol should never
be taken lightly. It involves myriad complex issues that must be fully
understood and carefully weighed before testing begins. The Office of
National Drug Control Policy has put together What You Need To Know About
Drug Testing in Schools to shed light and offer perspective on this multifaceted
and sometimes controversial topic. Our aim is to provide anyone who is
considering a drug-testing program in his or her community with a broad
understanding of the issue and solid, up-to-date information on which
to base a decision.
Case
History: A Reward for Staying Clean
Autauga County
School System
In rural Autauga
County, Alabama, students have a special incentive to stay off drugs.
As part of a voluntary drug-testing program, participating students who
test negative for drugs in random screenings receive discounts and other
perks from scores of area businesses.
Community leaders and school officials, prompted by a growing concern about the use of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes among students, launched the program in 2000 with the help of a local drug-free coalition called Peers Are Staying Straight (PASS). “Our community was awakening to the fact that we needed to do something,” says PASS Executive Director Martha Ellis.
The Independent Decision program began with just the 7th grade but will expand each year to include all grade levels. In the 2001–2002 school year, more than half of all 7th and 8th graders at public and private schools participated.
To enter the program, kids take a urine test for nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, PCP, and marijuana. Those who test negative get a picture ID that entitles them to special deals at more than 55 participating restaurants and stores. Students keep the ID as long as they test negative in twice-yearly random drug tests.
Those who test positive (there have been only three) must relinquish their cards and any special privileges. The school counselor notifies the parents and, if appropriate, offers advice about where to find help. At that point, the matter is strictly in the parents’ hands. If the child tests negative in a subsequent random test, his or her card is returned. “Our whole purpose,” says Ellis, “is to reward kids who stay clean and help them see the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle.”
Surveys taken by PRIDE (the National Parents’ Resource Institute for Drug Education) before the program began and again in 2002 showed significant reductions in drug use among Autauga County’s 8th graders: from 35.9 percent to 24.4 percent for nicotine, 39.9 percent to 30 percent for alcohol, and 18.5 percent to 11.8 percent for marijuana.
For
more information about Autauga’s Independent Decision program, call
(334) 358–4900.
