Illinois HS: Hair drug test for all students

phr

Bluelighter
Joined
May 25, 2004
Messages
36,678
Location
St. Charles, IL
Marian Catholic set to test students for drugs
Emma Graves Fitzsimmons
Chicago Tribune
12/25/07



Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights will likely become the third Catholic high school in the region to require drug testing of its students.

Parents and school officials met last week to discuss the proposal, expected to take effect next fall. Following the example of St. Patrick High School in Chicago and St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, school officials hope the new policy will give Marian's 1,500 students another reason to turn down drugs, said Principal Kathleen Tait.

"The reality is that often students consider experimenting with drugs, but this gives them the support to be able to say no," she said.

Each student would be tested once each school year, and some students would be randomly selected for a second test. All students would have to submit a hair sample to be screened for marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, PCP and Ecstasy. The test would cost about $55 per student annually.

The school does not have major drug problems, but "even if it helps a few students, it's worth it," Tait said.

As other Catholic schools across the country have considered drug testing in recent years, they have consulted with officials at St. Patrick and St. Viator about their experiences. More private schools are testing students at random, but public schools usually only test students participating in competitive athletics and extracurricular activities.

Drug testing at St. Patrick over the last four years has been a "huge success," said Principal Joe Schmidt. Less than 1 percent of the school's 1,000 male students test positive for drugs each year, he said.

"The kids here feel good about being a drug-free school," he said. "The drug dealers aren't trying to sell here."

When a student tests positive for drugs, he must meet confidentially with his dean and parents to discuss the results. If drugs still appear in test results after 100 days, the student would likely be asked to leave the school, Schmidt said. Marian plans to implement similar disciplinary procedures.

"It's not worth it for the students," Schmidt said. "It's a good school, and they want to be here."

Experts in teen drug use cite troubling statistics, as highlighted in a recent study by the University of Michigan that found that 36 percent of high school seniors report using illicit drugs.

But some question the effectiveness of drug testing in schools and favor a more comprehensive approach to drug abuse through education and counseling. Besides raising questions about privacy, drug testing alienates those students who are struggling with drug abuse, said Tom Angell, a spokesman for Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a group representing college and high school students that opposes testing.

"Young people need to know if they're having problems with drugs, they can go to parents or educators to ask for help," he said.

Link!
 
Hooray for the spread of ignorance and the violation of privacy!
 
Hahahahahahha...the drug dealers dont try and sell at catholic schools! No wai! The kids there definately aint bored and rich. every dealer knows to stay faaaaaaar away from any catholic school. no ignorant spoiled kids to rip off there, nah ah.

I love when schools do this. I wonder what the parents think? my mom aint a stoner or nothin (other than like once a year lol) but my moms would FLIP a SHIT if i was in a school that did this. i guarantee shed be fightin them all the way to the supreme court if she had to, callin the aclu for the backup dough n makin sure that no school ever had that kinda control over her kid. i dont get who thinks this is a good idea.
 
^
I'm guessing that the parents are all for it. Anything to keep little Johnny off the dope(sic).
 
Well lets do the math here ...1500 students times $55 per drug test = $82500 per year.... thats just INSANE. Im sure they could have come up with many more productive uses for that kind of money. Also if anyone is paranoid about this kind of testing they could shave all the hair off there bodies, eliminating any evidence of drug use down to what they consumed in the last few days.. maybe a week tops....8)
 
It's actually more than that, since some will get retested at random. It's a private school though, so the parents are paying for it.
 
Yea this will happen till 10 percent test positive and they get hit where it hurts there wallet. everyone I knew who went to catholic school did coke you know what they say about stereotypes. there usually true or racist

Liberty isnt dying there a private instituition they do what they will now if public schools started mandatory drug testing that would be a different story
 
"The reality is that often students consider experimenting with drugs, but this gives them the support to be able to say no," she said.


Its not support its forced you idiots
 
eh, whatever, private school. they also make the kids participate in a ritual where the high point of the event involves symbolically consuming the flesh and blood of their dead religious leader.. thats a little more disturbing than drug testing imo ;)
 
"The reality is that often students consider experimenting with drugs, but this gives them the support to be able to say no," she said.
what the hell? i guess they dont even see the irony
 
drew345 said:
Yea this will happen till 10 percent test positive and they get hit where it hurts there wallet. everyone I knew who went to catholic school did coke you know what they say about stereotypes. there usually true or racist

Liberty isnt dying there a private instituition they do what they will now if public schools started mandatory drug testing that would be a different story
well since they say itll take effect next fall, and the students no doubt have heard about the plan, the smart ones do have time to either not take drugs for ~3 months before the test or switch schools (coming up with a good excuse for mommy besides i dont wanna be drug tested)
 
Amebix said:
thats awesome, did you make that up?

a quick google search indicated it's from Star Wars episode III ;)

and no liberty is dying cause people are choosing to go to that school. I think it's retarded especially since the school doesn't even have a drug problem but whatever.
 
This would create a market for drug tests as well. Although, having gone to a Catholic High school where most of the senior class did something, I'd say this would deter some kids from first picking up the habit. They'd just wait for college instead.

My parents would have been for it and the school would have handed the costs over to the them. When they say only one percent failed, that's what 15 guys? I'd say something is fishy here. I doubt there's any high school in the country where only one percent does drugs.

It's a marketing tool to seem more appealing to perspective parents.
 
phrozen said:
...Anything to keep little Johnny off the dope(sic).
Looks like they've lost confidence in the ability of Jesus to do it...
 
lacey k said:
Hahahahahahha...the drug dealers dont try and sell at catholic schools! No wai! The kids there definately aint bored and rich. every dealer knows to stay faaaaaaar away from any catholic school. no ignorant spoiled kids to rip off there, nah ah.

I love when schools do this. I wonder what the parents think? my mom aint a stoner or nothin (other than like once a year lol) but my moms would FLIP a SHIT if i was in a school that did this. i guarantee shed be fightin them all the way to the supreme court if she had to, callin the aclu for the backup dough n makin sure that no school ever had that kinda control over her kid. i dont get who thinks this is a good idea.


first of all, it is a private institution so if you do not like it, you can go somewhere else. I go to one of these schools in the chicagoland area and it is completely rooted in fear. you have to sign a waiver when you get a parking pass for school (75% of the students) that says you have to submit to random hair testing. I have been a prime target at my school but you have to meet criteria to be tested because it IS expensive. they just say that they will test you because it is random therefore enforcing kids not to do anything because they COULD be caught. no one has been tested yet and its second semester.

they test you when your grades drop, a lot of detentions or if the school finds your name in the classifieds, facebook etc...

the point is that IT does not deter the students that choose to do drugs at all who are going to do them. people still smoke everyday and people still are going to do cocaine. people are still going to drink.

the problem with this as that it has forced a lot of kids to find alternatives.

a lot of the students at the other school that have a mandatory drug test for every student have changed their drug of choice. kids are doing dust off, drinking more, more dxm, more diphenhydramine, more acid, more research chemicals, more pills MORE EVERYTHING THAT DOES NOT SHOW UP ON A TEST.

these tests are not going to stop kids from getting high but now everyone is turning to other drugs.

this is possibly the dumbest legislation any school has ever proposed. kids are doing dumber and riskier things now just because they cant smoke or pop their moms codeine.
 
they test you when your grades drop, a lot of detentions or if the school finds your name in the classifieds, facebook etc...
That's crazy.
I'd get a bunch of people to start wearing drug related t-shirts, act high, etc., just to get them to spend a shitload of money on the stupid tests.
 
Top