High School Athlete Drug Testing

[baseball16]

This will be my last comment on this topic. I truly believe it is not the school's responsibility to implement these procedures. I cannot say enough; it should be the PARENTS and Families that holds these kids accountable. Schools are always looked at to institute policies and procedures for a lot of outside influences. For Example: Schools funding is based on Attendance measurement. Are you kidding me? Why are the parents funding not held for a kid not going to school. Maybe if this happens then attendance for schools would be fine.

Also, an Ohio School had a shooting approx. 2 months ago. The student that did this horrific event was a student athlete that failed a drug test and was kicked off the Wrestling Team. How does a school manage this? Now it's their job to educate on Guns and Gun Control. Really?

Once our society starts taking responsibility and starts holding parents/kids accountable outside of the schools, the School environment will be a better place along with the Communities of these schools.

[Poo Bear]

I dont disagree with any of that , however when a school has adopted a drug testing policy for its student athletes but the staff and faculty isnt subject to the same or a similar policy it loses all credibilty in some peoples mind. Surely we can lead by example, correct?

[george]

Cost an oral swab cost $12.50 per test and is approved by the FDA and DEA and covers all illegal drugs!. Just think about this one poor choice can result in death of a person All my polices include at least 8-12 hours of education and training and education should start in grade school and continue.

We used them on construction jobs and if you test positive they would have to send them to a lab for further testing

George, That is the proper procedure. We also use hair sampling which is totally fool proof and pee test. Once the results are in what is the next step?

In our local If you test positive You have to go to rehab or you don't work for a year though the local . If company you are working for gives you a random and you test positive you are fired no 3 strikes and you are out. Plus most of them puts you on a black list

[Flock_92]

I joined the forum specifically for this topic. So thank you all first and foremost.

The company I work for performs student drug testing for more than 100 high schools throughout Ohio.

The goal of any student drug testing program is prevention. It gives that student an opportunity to say "no" to drugs. Think about when a program is most beneficial. It is on a Friday or Saturday night, when a student is offered a drug.... all that student has to say is, put that away, you know "I" get tested. That instance right there, could change the students life. With peer pressure today, the student can use the program to say he/she cannot do the drugs because they could get tested.

We hear all of the time "it is the job of the parents to control their children." You are very true, and I agree. However, the truth today is that the coaches, teachers, administrators, and school districts see the children more than their parents do. So essentially it falls back to the school and district to provide as many prevention programs and tools to help each and every student in the best ways they can.

We also hear that all teachers and administrators should be tested as well. And I agree. Usually most school districts we work with have the administrators involved. Bus Drivers are regulated by the DOT so they get tested, and teachers usually take pre-employment tests for their position. If not, then they need to bargain with the union to do so and that is another topic of discussion.

Statistically throughout Ohio about 80-85% of parents are for a student drug testing program. Programs today can usually involve at least 75% of the HS population with mandatory testing programs, and can encompass other students with opt-in and voluntary based programs.

Drug test prices can differ depending on the type- Oral Fluids, Urine, Hair, and each of them have their different benefits. But testing is not expensive and the average cost is around $15 per test.

So what happens if a student does test positive? Again, these are prevention programs, you may not impede a students progress towards graduation. It would be great to say, "you tested positive, then you are out" but this is not a punitive program and zero tolerance policies may work in the "workplace" but these are students, and not adults. So if a student does test positive, Plan A failed, which was that student saying "no" to begin with. Plan B is to get that student into treatment and counseling to get assessed and identify any problems that may be going on. Of course there are penalties for athletes that they may miss games but you are not kicking students off teams, you are wanting them to stay invovled and active and encourage them to fulfill their obligations. Turning them away can cause more harm then good.

I could type a couple of pages but let me know how I can help on this subject. I have been doing it for more than 10 years now.

"It is easier to build strong children then repair broken men" - Frederick Douglass

DrugTestCzar,
I love your post. How do schools implement a program like what you are describing? I think that with the drug problem in our Appalachian area a stern drug policy is what is needed to insure our youths future by showing them that there ways to avoid drug use and educating the kids. Would love to hear more of your ideas of how to install, establish and enforce a drug policy in our schools. Thank you.

[Flock_92]

This will be my last comment on this topic. I truly believe it is not the school's responsibility to implement these procedures. I cannot say enough; it should be the PARENTS and Families that holds these kids accountable. Schools are always looked at to institute policies and procedures for a lot of outside influences. For Example: Schools funding is based on Attendance measurement. Are you kidding me? Why are the parents funding not held for a kid not going to school. Maybe if this happens then attendance for schools would be fine.

Also, an Ohio School had a shooting approx. 2 months ago. The student that did this horrific event was a student athlete that failed a drug test and was kicked off the Wrestling Team. How does a school manage this? Now it's their job to educate on Guns and Gun Control. Really?

Once our society starts taking responsibility and starts holding parents/kids accountable outside of the schools, the School environment will be a better place along with the Communities of these schools.

Unfortunately in our area you cant rely on the parents to raise their kids and hold them accountable when the parents themselves are strung out on God knows what. As it was stated in another post, the schools, coaches, teachers, etc. are around the students more than the parents most of the time. So I feel that the schools should take the lead on educating the kids and holding them accountable.

[thedogg16]

What about tobacco. There would be entire baseball teams have to sit out for that if it was tested

[Flock_92]

What about tobacco. There would be entire baseball teams have to sit out for that if it was tested

You are 100% right! Tobacco is covered in the student athlete rules meeting that all parents and student athletes must attend annually. However it is so frequently overlooked. There are rules in place but no one wants to enforce them.

[baseball16]

I guess I will respond one more time.

I'm a baseball coach, have been for 20 years. Tobacco is known to follow baseball . I've probably dealt with this issue 5 times in my career. Now , I'm not dumb to know I'm sure many of my ex players have done it. But I will not bag search. They know if I see it then there are punishments( suspension , running, parent meeting, etc... ) however termination is never on the agenda early . I would rather give them information and research on the use then just get rid of them. Also what they do outside the school and field is on them and their PARENTS. Senior that is 18 is legal to buy it. There is not much I can do about that Law. To stack tobacco in with narcotics is extreme. Narcotics I can see a lot harsher penalties then tobacco considering they are illegal without a prescription.

[thedogg16]

Not putting it up there with narcotics. Just saying some see it as a problem. I think it should be allowed

[Flock_92]

baseball16, not surprised that you revealed that you are a coach. I am glad that you have given us a coaches perspective. I'm sure you have a lot of things to deal with as a coach and have allowed yourself to overlook smaller violations like tobacco use, but tobacco regardless of the athletes age is not allowed on school property. After 20 years of service sometimes we all need a refreshing of spirit so we don't get complacent. I hope that you will remain vigilant in protecting the kids and enforce the rules.

[DrugTestCzar]

DrugTestCzar,
I love your post. How do schools implement a program like what you are describing? I think that with the drug problem in our Appalachian area a stern drug policy is what is needed to insure our youths future by showing them that there ways to avoid drug use and educating the kids. Would love to hear more of your ideas of how to install, establish and enforce a drug policy in our schools. Thank you.

Within public school districts, the school board has to approve of the policy. The policies, which have been tested and legal, according to the supreme court in 2002, have to be adapted within the district. It really is not at all that hard and we policies ready to adapt. What is unique about our company is that we present our program and how it works to school boards / admins / communities. Then we work with districts through the policy adaption, then handle all of the testing, and medical review of the samples. We truly handle all of the work for the districts. It is a hands off approach from the school standpoint. (this eliminates community members stating that the school wont pick the star QB and only ever picks the one kid they think is on drugs) The school really has no involvement other than having an administrator present for "crowd control" during the testing process.

Some districts elect to utilize a local hospital for testing, which is fine and we understand that, but, student drug testing is different than DOT / employer based drug testing.

Our president founded the company in 1995 and has been going strong ever since. I personally have been with the company 11 years now. It is more common than ever for school districts to institute a student drug testing program. Once the community members hear what the program is about, they are usually in favor of a testing program. The program is not to search and seize. it is prevention and statistically does work.

One school we work with performed their research and it concluded that over 100 students have utilized the policy to "say No" to drugs / alcohol.

[osumufan]

South Point tests ALL its athletes including cheerleaders and band members in every sport/band they participate in. Some kids who play 3 sports get tested in every season. I think it hurts our participation rate but in the long run it is best. Wish the other OVC schools did the same. It's to their advantage to not test tem all!

[DrugTestCzar]

South Point tests ALL its athletes including cheerleaders and band members in every sport/band they participate in. Some kids who play 3 sports get tested in every season. I think it hurts our participation rate but in the long run it is best. Wish the other OVC schools did the same. It's to their advantage to not test tem all!

If students are choosing drugs over participation then there is a significant problem in that students life. Most of our schools we work have an increase in participation rather than decrease.