Pubdate: Sun, 18 Jul 2004
Source: Times Daily (Florence, AL)
Copyright: 2004 Times Daily
Contact:  http://www.timesdaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1641
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/false+positive (false positives)

DRUG TESTING

THE ISSUE

  The Florence school board has adopted a drug testing policy for students 
that could turn a young person's life around if administered correctly.

WE SUGGEST

Funding for the policy is still nebulous, creating concern that testing 
will not be as effective as the board intends. Florence has adopted a 
nearly comprehensive random drug testing policy for students that has the 
potential to not only save lives, but cost a lot of money.

The policy covers any student involved in an extracurricular activity - not 
just athletics - and any student who drives a car onto campus or parks a 
car on campus.

A series of screening panels will be developed with the help of a 
laboratory. The panels, which will include anabolic steroids, will change 
every year to prevent students from getting familiar with the drugs being 
screened.

Most school systems test only athletes. Florence has chosen to expand the 
policy to a more representative cross section of the student body, which is 
a realistic approach to identifying students with potentially 
life-threatening substance abuse problems.

What is less realistic - at least as the policy stands now - is a lack of 
funding for screening.

The board adopted the policy last week with the understanding that a 
corporate benefactor will contribute an unspecified amount of money to the 
school's support foundation. There is no money in this year's budget to get 
the drug screening program off the ground.

More will be known about what the screenings will cost after the screening 
panels are developed.

A few school systems in Alabama have scaled back or stopped drug screenings 
because of the costs.

Russellville spends $13,000 a year for its program. Florence Superintendent 
Kendy Behrends expects to spend double that amount when screenings reach 
their peak.

If the screenings are to be effective, a significant number of tests must 
be done. That means sufficient money must be available to conduct the tests.

One troubling aspect of the new policy is that anabolic steroids will not 
be included in every screening panel. The steroids have been popular with 
athletes for years as a body-building aid. Now, steroids have become 
popular with nonathletes, as well.

Anabolic steroids pose not only short-term health risks, but risks that 
show up later in life. The screening panels should include steroids every year.

The school board correctly recognized that drug screening is important for 
all students, not just athletes. The challenge now for the board is to 
fully fund and sustain the policy.

As always, school funding is a challenge in Alabama. But can a price be set 
for the well-being of a child? This policy could turn a child's life 
around, and that's good.
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