Pubdate: Wed, 12 Jun 2002
Source: Decatur Daily (AL)
Copyright: 2002 The Decatur Daily
Contact:  http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/index.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/696
Author: Bayne Hughes
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DECATUR SCHOOLS TO HOLD SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON DRUG TESTS THURSDAY

The public has a second chance to speak out on Decatur City Schools 
proposed student drug tests at a hearing Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the 
Decatur High School auditorium.

Austin High School Principal Ed Nichols is chairman of the committee 
proposing the plan to test students who participate in competitive 
extracurricular activities. He hopes attendance increases over the 24 
people who attended a hearing two weeks ago at Austin.

"Any time you're dealing with a situation in which there are a great 
deal of questions, it's important that the community be able to give 
input," Nichols said. "Often, they have ideas that we haven't thought 
of, even though we had a broad-based committee from a wide sector of 
the community that studied the proposal."

Nichols said he got several good ideas at the Austin meeting, 
including re-emphasizing the importance of having a good medical 
review officer to deal with the drug testing company.

"One thing I found out is everybody is concerned about helping kids 
not to use drugs," Nichols said. "It's good to know that people are 
concerned."

According to Nichols, the need for good parent-student orientations 
at the start of school was a key point of the hearing. Students will 
be tested for alcohol and tobacco, as well as ecstasy, marijuana, 
amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, steroids and other illegal drugs.
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MAP posted-by: Josh