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Mandatory Drug Testing Program

Mandatory Drug Testing Program. Hall Co. School System Drug Screening procedure for Interscholastic Athletics.

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Mandatory Drug Testing Program

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  1. Mandatory Drug Testing Program

  2. Hall Co. School SystemDrug Screening procedure for Interscholastic Athletics. The Hall County School System believes that the use and abuse of drugs that have not been prescribed for medical benefit can be detrimental to the physical, emotional, and mental health of their student-athletes, It is further believed that this use and abuse of drugs seriously interferes with the performance of the student-athletes, and is dangerous to themselves as well as their peers. Because of these serious concerns, the following drug screening procedure is in effect:

  3. Hall Co. School SystemDrug Screening procedure for Interscholastic Athletics. GOALS • To develop a drug free program that produces student-athletes who serve as positive role models and influence their peers to lead healthy and responsible lives. • To educate our student-athletes about the dangers and problems associated with drug use and abuse. • To prevent drug use and abuse by our student-athletes • To identify any student-athlete who may be using and/or abusing drugs and to identify the drug(s), as well as to provide help through counseling and treatment • To educate our student-athletes of the effects drugs have on their mental, emotional, and physical well-being and the effect drug abuse has on their teammates, the athletic program, the school, and the community.

  4. The most commonly used drugs of our youth. • Alcohol • Marijuana • Inhalants • Acid • Mushrooms • Ecstasy • Nitrous • Crack • Heroin • Cocaine • Prescription Drugs • Crystal Meth.

  5. Facts About Drugs used today in our schools. • Anything you have heard of is available in most high schools. • Almost all drugs of abuse, that you have ever heard of, can be obtained by students.

  6. Facts About Drugs 3. Kids today know as much or more about drugs than their parents. 4. Next to schools, shopping malls are the best source of drugs in suburbia. 5. ALL types of kids do drugs.

  7. The Legal Question Can school systems enact a mandatory random drug screening program for their students?

  8. LINDSAY EARLS vs Pottawatomie County (Oklahoma) Board of Education (June 2002) The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public high schools can randomly conduct drug testing of students participating in after-school activities.

  9. How it started in Hall County It all began with a phone call.

  10. The Phone Call • Flowery Branch High School Principal Mark Coleman called me at the Central Office in early 2004 and asked," Can we drug test our athletes at Flowery Branch High School?” .

  11. Discussion with Superintendent: I then approached our Superintendent Dennis Fordham about Dr. Coleman’s proposal. His response was consistent with the model he had built in addressing such issues: Take it to the high school principals to see if interest was present, and more importantly, if consensus could be reached.

  12. What do we do now?How do we begin? Research existing models • Develop goals for our program. • Decide what we’ll test for. • Decide who we’ll test. • How do we want to handle positives? All of these questions and more we had to come up with answers for.

  13. OUR PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR EDUCATION AND INTERVENTION.

  14. GIVE OUR STUDENTS ANOTHER REASON TO SAY, “NO!”

  15. We decided to: • Let the professionals do the selecting, testing and reporting. • Test 100 student-athletes per year @ $25.00 each. • Test by season: Students could be randomly selected during every season in which they participate. • Payment would come from athletic account at each high school.

  16. What will our communities think? Will they be supportive?

  17. Community Meetings • Public hearings were held. All parents were invited as well as community members. • Representatives from the toxicology lab were on the program to explain the procedures they used.

  18. Toxicology Issues • Assured parents that there would be no way a specimen could be contaminated. • Testing was accurate 99.99% of the time. • Confirmation of a positive would be done by a medical review officer to parents • Selection of random subjects would be chosen by Toxicology Lab. The school provides list of student numbers for the selections.

  19. We are not testing for Alcohol or Steroids!

  20. PROCEDURES • The student-athlete must present to thehead coach a signed consent form, which authorizes the school to administer drug testing and that allow the results of the test to be released to parents or guardians, administrative officials, and the head coach. (Note: A signed consent form is a requirement for participation in any GHSA governed inter-scholastic activity that requires an annual physical examination for participation. Parents and students do not have the option of not participating in the drug-screen program.)

  21. PROCEDURES 2. Random testing will take place at any time during the school year with student-athletes chosen through lottery/random selection. The substances that will be tested include: amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, opiates, and propoxyphene. Testing consists of providing a urine sample to those representatives of the firm administering the test. School personnel will supervise but will not administer the test. Privacy of the students and confidentiality are secured to ensure against tampering. Specimens will be processed for identity and secured to ensure against tampering. Test results will be reported to the school through the proper chain of command. In case of a positive result, the parent or guardian will be notified.

  22. PROCEDURES 3. The student-athlete must fill out a form listing any medication that he or she is currently taking to safe guard against “false positives”.

  23. Consequences for Positives First Positive If a test is returned positive, the parents or guardians and the student-athlete will be notified. A student-athlete will be banned for 10%of the team’s scheduled games for the season (excluding practice scrimmages) beginning with the next scheduled contest(s). The student athlete may remain a part of the team and will be expected to participate in team practices or conditioning sessions. The student-athlete and parents must provide evidence of enrollment in a drug-counseling program approved by the principal (SUPER I is available for 1st offenders). The student-athlete must agree to another drug test with in a timeframe recommended by the Northeast Georgia Toxicology Lab as family's expense (cost will be approximately $25).

  24. Consequences for Positives Second Positive • If a student-athlete has a second positive screen, the parents or guardian and the athlete will be notified. The student-athlete will be suspended from the team at the time of notification. A meeting will be scheduled with the parents or guardians, the student-athlete, the principal, the head coach, and the athletic director to arrange the following: • Agree for participation in a drug treatment and counseling program on a regular basis, for a minimum of four weeks. Parents or guardians are expected to participate in the program.

  25. Consequences for Positives Second Positive (continued) • Sign an agreement that releases Hall County Board of Education from any liability for injury or illness resulting from drugs and/or treatment. • Apply for reinstatement to the team after a minimum of four weeks if the following provisions are met: a) provide a negative drug screen; b) agree to continue with drug counseling; c) agree to future “on demand” testing; d) understand that the application for reinstatement may be denied.

  26. Consequences for Positive results Third Positive A third positive screen will result in suspension from all interscholastic athletics for one calendar year from date of result. Parents or guardians and student-athlete will be notified immediately. Continued counseling and treatment during the year of suspension is expected with periodic testing at family’s expense. Reinstatement procedures will remain constant, meaning they will have to go through the re-instatement process outlined in the consequences for a second positive.

  27. Consequences for Positive results • In the event the student-athlete believes this policy has not been applied to him/her in a manner consistent with the intent, the parents or guardians may appeal the decision to the principal of their school within 72 hrs. of a positive test result, and the decision in this matter shall be final. This procedure is intended to supplement the existing policies of the Hall Co. Board Of Education and the Georgia H.S. Assoc. regarding the governance of interscholastic athletics.

  28. Consequences for Positives • Administrators shall not use test results obtained pursuant to this policy for disciplinary or other purposes, other than as set forth above. (All student-athletes remain subject to the Hall Co. Board of Education Student Code of Conduct and may be subject to established discipline procedures if found in possession or under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol at school or at school sponsored events.) • In addition, parents (guardians) may make a request to have their student-athletes tested at their expense.

  29. Is this working the way we want?How can we make it better? • Don’t just test one time per season. • Go to a higher panel screen. (Test for more types of drugs) • Don’t disclose too much in terms of what we are testing. • Expand it to other extra-curricular and privileged activities

  30. ANY QUESTIONS?

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