Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - The Globe and Mail: Breath-testing technology goes to high school - A growing number of Principals are buying devices to check for alcohol – or drugsBy Margaret Philp
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October 8, 2004 - The Ottawa CitizenSchool uses breathalyzer at student dances: Robert Borden sees reduction in drinking By Kirstin Endemann
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Oct. 2003 - The Vancouver Province
Barrhead Leader Newspaper
BCHS buys drug test kit for suspect students
Administrators at Barrhead Composite High School announced last week that it has purchased “a quantity of drug test kits to combat student drug abuse. School principal Kerry McElroy says the tests are not meant to persecute students but to identify and help those with drug problems. “We can’t use them for judicial purposes, no charges can be laid because it’s just a saliva test”, said McElroy. The school purchased the tests as a way of identifying kids with drug problems and beginning an intervention for them. Tests are meant to target students with an established habit, not sniff out every user. Although the school will only be testing those students who willingly submit samples, students who refuse the test will be suspect as well. “If a student didn’t consent to taking it, the indication would be that they are under the influence of a drug, correct?” said Mr. McElroy. “In that case we would be calling the parents and asking them to deal with the student.” He says students who are clean have nothing to lose by taking the test.
Administrators at Barrhead Composite High School announced last week that it has purchased “a quantity of drug test kits to combat student drug abuse.
School principal Kerry McElroy says the tests are not meant to persecute students but to identify and help those with drug problems.
“We can’t use them for judicial purposes, no charges can be laid because it’s just a saliva test”, said McElroy. The school purchased the tests as a way of identifying kids with drug problems and beginning an intervention for them. Tests are meant to target students with an established habit, not sniff out every user. Although the school will only be testing those students who willingly submit samples, students who refuse the test will be suspect as well. “If a student didn’t consent to taking it, the indication would be that they are under the influence of a drug, correct?” said Mr. McElroy. “In that case we would be calling the parents and asking them to deal with the student.”
He says students who are clean have nothing to lose by taking the test.
The Vancouver Province - Oct. 2003
The Washington Times - December 27, 1998
Headline: Bill on drug testing would aid education goals
The Dec. 11 article “Schools’ progress called uneven” cited the 1998 annual report of the National Education Goals Panel, which informed us of the continuing failure of the nation’s schools to live up to goals established by the panel in 1990. This failure seems to be reflected in recent polls citing education as the No. 1 concern among Americans. One of the panel’s eight goals is that “every school will be free of drugs and violence.” But a general failure is that area is confirmed by the continuing 30-year plague of street drugs infesting schools and endangering students and teachers virtually everywhere. The report states, “Increased drug use and disruption in the classroom particularly have hampered schools’ improvement.” And, “Classrooms have also become more hostile . . . A higher percentage of public school teachers say they were threatened or injured at school, and more secondary school teachers report that students disrupted lessons.” In recognition of the malignant impact of drugs in schools, more than 50 school districts across the nation are attempting some form of non-punitive student drug testing. But nearly all of those efforts are being obstructed by “privacy rights” litigation even though the Supreme Court has refused such arguments. Recent Supreme Court rulings have confirmed that drug testing of students for health and safety purposes is constitutional. Consequently, last July, Rep. John E. Peterson introduced HR 4378 to authorize all communities nationwide to adopt non-punitive student drug testing (in order to identify drug-involved students for treatment) as a means of protecting schoolchildren, teachers and the educational system from the dangers of drugs in schools. If American is ever to stand a chance of meeting those eight national education goals, we must first make “every school free of drugs and violence” by adopting non-punitive student drug testing, as will be provided when HR 4378 or its successor in the 106th Congress becomes law.
The Dec. 11 article “Schools’ progress called uneven” cited the 1998 annual report of the National Education Goals Panel, which informed us of the continuing failure of the nation’s schools to live up to goals established by the panel in 1990. This failure seems to be reflected in recent polls citing education as the No. 1 concern among Americans.
One of the panel’s eight goals is that “every school will be free of drugs and violence.” But a general failure is that area is confirmed by the continuing 30-year plague of street drugs infesting schools and endangering students and teachers virtually everywhere. The report states, “Increased drug use and disruption in the classroom particularly have hampered schools’ improvement.” And, “Classrooms have also become more hostile . . . A higher percentage of public school teachers say they were threatened or injured at school, and more secondary school teachers report that students disrupted lessons.”
In recognition of the malignant impact of drugs in schools, more than 50 school districts across the nation are attempting some form of non-punitive student drug testing. But nearly all of those efforts are being obstructed by “privacy rights” litigation even though the Supreme Court has refused such arguments.
Recent Supreme Court rulings have confirmed that drug testing of students for health and safety purposes is constitutional. Consequently, last July, Rep. John E. Peterson introduced HR 4378 to authorize all communities nationwide to adopt non-punitive student drug testing (in order to identify drug-involved students for treatment) as a means of protecting schoolchildren, teachers and the educational system from the dangers of drugs in schools.
If American is ever to stand a chance of meeting those eight national education goals, we must first make “every school free of drugs and violence” by adopting non-punitive student drug testing, as will be provided when HR 4378 or its successor in the 106th Congress becomes law.
September 9, 2004 - West Bend, Indiana
The Penn-Harris-Madison school district approves random drug testing. The school had suspended its program testing kids involved in extra-curricular activities two years ago. That was done after a suit was filed questioning the constitutionality of the tests. That suit has been thrown out. Today kids reacted. One student said, “I know kind of how it was inconvenience to go down and be tested. When I was a freshman, I was pulled out of a test to take a drug test.” Another student liked the idea. “I think it sends the message that drugs won’t be tolerated”. The tests will be done by an oral swab, which tests a student’s saliva.
The Penn-Harris-Madison school district approves random drug testing. The school had suspended its program testing kids involved in extra-curricular activities two years ago. That was done after a suit was filed questioning the constitutionality of the tests. That suit has been thrown out.
Today kids reacted. One student said, “I know kind of how it was inconvenience to go down and be tested. When I was a freshman, I was pulled out of a test to take a drug test.” Another student liked the idea. “I think it sends the message that drugs won’t be tolerated”.
The tests will be done by an oral swab, which tests a student’s saliva.
Other articles
Drug testing in schools will let Students be accountable editorial part 1 Drug testing in schools will let Students be accountable editorial part 2
Drug testing in schools will let Students be accountable editorial part 1
Drug testing in schools will let Students be accountable editorial part 2
