cannabisnews.com: School Drug Testing Guidelines Issued 





School Drug Testing Guidelines Issued 
Posted by CN Staff on August 29, 2002 at 12:56:33 PT
Administration says users should be treated
Source: Associated Press
High school students who use drugs should be treated and counseled, not simply suspended or expelled, according to new guidelines from the Bush administration. The advice challenges policies in many districts that automatically suspend or expell students caught with drugs.     Issued Thursday by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the guide says the aim of drug testing “is not to trap and punish students who use drugs. It is, in fact, counterproductive simply to punish them without trying to alter their behavior.”
John Walters, who directs the office, said such testing should be done to get help for students, not to punish them.    “The goal is to say we believe we can do a better job of making kids healthy,” he said.    It strongly cautions against suspending or expelling students without treating them, noting that expulsion can create “drug-using dropouts,” an even bigger problem.    The advice challenges policies in many districts that automatically suspend or expel students caught with drugs.    Only a Tool    Dan Langan, an Education Department spokesman, said the department believes schools should be free to make their own decisions on how to treat drug offenders.      “The guide is a tool and it’s a helpful tool, but how a district and a school chose to implement any recommendations in the guide is up to them,” Langan said. “How it’s carried out in a school district would be a local issue.”    But Kathleen Lyons, spokeswoman for the National Education Association, said her group would back the new guidelines.    “That’s what we would endorse, helping kids, not simply punishing them,” she said. “It doesn’t do anybody any good just to take a drug test and kick the kid out of school — where’s he going to go? It doesn’t solve anyone’s problem and may in fact worsen it.”    ‘Proceed with Caution’      The guide says schools should “proceed with caution” when testing students for drugs, making sure they “have a good idea of precisely what drugs their students are using” before beginning testing.    The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June that schools can require students to submit to drug tests before participating in competitive after-school activities, even if they have no particular reason to suspect wrongdoing. Drug tests had been allowed previously just for student athletes.    That decision gave schools a free hand to test more than half the estimated 14 million American high school students.    The court stopped short of allowing random tests for any student, but several justices have indicated they are interested in answering that question at some point.    Critics have also said that keeping students out of extracurricular activities because they use drugs will lead more students to abandon the activities.     Many schools test athletes for drugs, but wider drug testing remains relatively rare among the nation’s 15,500 public school districts.    The new guide cautioned that the decision to implement a testing program shouldn’t be left up to an individual or even a school board, but should include public input, including that of opponents.    “It is not enough to have a general sense that student drug testing sounds like a good idea,” it says. “Schools must first determine whether there is a real need for drug testing.”    Source: Associated Press Published: Thursday, August 29, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles:Treat, Don't Punish Teen Drug Users http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13922.shtmlEarly Marijuana Use Linked to Adult Dependence http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13914.shtmlTeens Say Buying Marijuana Is Easy http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13818.shtml
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Comment #20 posted by CorvallisEric on August 30, 2002 at 13:45:23 PT
Zogby internet polls vs telephone polls
Kap's first paragraph in comment 17 reminded me of something. From:
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=606
This Zogby Interactive poll is a test and reflects only the opinions of those registered online users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot nor should be assumed to represent the opinions of U.S. voters in general or the public as a whole. We hope to be able to provide statistically reliable interactive polls in the near future.
The interactive poll was conducted of 8,693 likely voters from July 10-14, 2002.
The telephone survey was conducted July 12-15, 2002 of 1,109 likely voters.
Zogby did a reasonable job of matching demographics between the two polls. Region, gender, race and age were the same. Internet respondents tended to be somewhat more urban, less rural. Wealth, marital status, religion, broad-scale politics, ownership of various investments, opinions on stock scandals were not wildly different. Party registration and voting about the same except far more libertarians on internet (but still only about 4%)
Now we get to the interesting part: overall opinion of President Bush: very unfavorable - phone 14% - internet 35% - performance on the job: poor (lowest choice) - phone 11% - internet 34%
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Comment #19 posted by i420 on August 30, 2002 at 11:41:05 PT
Just a tip...
If you watched the show on the net use "find" to search your hard drive type in to search  *.ram  then look to see if the show cached into a temporary folder if it did cut and paste it to a different folder so u can keep a copy. Unfortunatly this doesn't work for pot-tv.net shows it did work for the ssdp souder confrontation at ssdp.org
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Comment #18 posted by John Tyler on August 30, 2002 at 09:14:56 PT
The gov. just wants to help.
The political wind is shifting and the antis are now trying out the "we want to help them" offensive. “The goal is to say we believe we can do a better job of making kids healthy,” he said. We're not trying to catch them to punish them. What about alcohol, tobacco, and overweight kids. There are probably more overweight kids than kids that use any kind of substances. How about better school lunches for a start?
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Comment #17 posted by kaptinemo on August 30, 2002 at 08:27:51 PT:
I can't stop smiling so much it hurts my face:
from the article at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1036/a01.html?1796Adding to the problem is the fact that Internet users tend to be disproportionately male, white, young and better educated than the rest of the population. Internet pollsters attempt to correct for the difference by statistically adjusting their samples to contain the right proportion of women, older people and those with less education. (Emphasis mine -k.)This battle we are in for our lives and our freedoms is fundamentally no different than any other generational conflict. Old, unworkable, but increasingly, desperately clung to ways of doing things come into conflict with ideas that challenge the flawed assumptions and methodologies of the "Sick Turks". The "Young Turks" know how to fix the problem, and could do so fairly easily, but the "Sick Turks" won't let them, as it upsets their own plans for you. Which they assume that they automatically have the right to determine...without any input from you. So, sit down, shut up, and do as you are told!They simply cannot afford to slacken their constant bullhorn blather to allow a tiny voice of reason to crack through their wall of lies and ask a simple but explosive question. A question which would plant doubt in the minds of the public as to what's been happening to the sick and dying cannabis users. As our esteemed Observer so rightfully frames it, the matter is not legalization but imprisonment. Which is why antis go into fits when they see something like : "Do cannabis users belong in jail if they hurt no one else through their usage of the weed?". This is a devastating question that makes the antis howl every time they see it, as it implies their control of the media is slipping, and they know it. Only antis are rightfully supposed to have control of the public's attention through media outlets...or so they think.)
 
So, they do all they can to exclude us from the public media channels...and scream bloody murder when we succeed:"The insidious inroads that the small but heavily financed drug culture continues to make into the fabric of society is truly frightening," said Charles Perkins, president of Drug Watch International, in a prepared statement. "It is time for the media to expose these lobbyists, just as they would expose pedophiles who try to influence child abuse laws and enforcement."Want proof? When the Anti-Meth Bill came out, the number one target was the 'Net. Why? Because antis are pee-their-pants scared of it. They really, truly do not understand or comprehend this media that we that move through like fish in the ocean do; never thinking of the water that sustains us. They'd drown if they didn't have their aides to explain things to them.They don't get it, so, like any primitive, they try to destroy what they cannot control. I call this 'caveman ethics'. The day of the showdown between the "Young Turk" reformers and the "Sick Turk" antis is edging ever closer. And the Zogby arrangement is allowing us to get our message out. 
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Comment #16 posted by qqqq on August 30, 2002 at 00:36:23 PT
....Phasetheory...
...I liked your 'off subject' comment..I havn't heard that radio commercial yet..What part of the country did you hear it in?
 
 
...I'm glad to hear you are a "school student". ...I'm curious to know if you still feel that Ashcrofts terror war is in the best interests of America?
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Comment #15 posted by pppp on August 30, 2002 at 00:18:38 PT
....ACHTUNG!!..It's time for your treatment....
....the drug war is now going to enter phase 2.....the corporate entities that run the prison industry cartel,,are getting geared up to switch over to the treatment game.....they will be able to suck billions out of the public coffers with the treatment charade!...........
 
......let's face it;;;things are fucked,,,,and it looks like they're gonna be getting even more fuckeder.... so.. that's all the more reason why we must keep on keepin on!
 
 
.....JAH is no secret.........."Let my people go!"...
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Comment #14 posted by Dan B on August 29, 2002 at 21:13:38 PT:
Help Kids . . . Punish Adults?
“That’s what we would endorse, helping kids, not simply punishing them,” she said. “It doesn’t do anybody any good just to take a drug test and kick the kid out of school — where’s he going to go? It doesn’t solve anyone’s problem and may in fact worsen it.”Really? Tell that to Mark Souder and all the other idiots who voted to take student loans away from anyone convicted of even the most minor of drug offenses. If taking the treatment approach is a the best thing for kids, why is it so difficult for these  $$#*!%$ to recognize that treatment is also a far better approach than prison for adults? If helping people is the goal, why is the entire drug war hell-bent on destroying people? You know the answer.Dan B
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Comment #13 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on August 29, 2002 at 16:05:43 PT
Zogby and the evil "legalizers"
The quick quote at the end of the C-SPAN press conference was oversimplified and close but not quite the truth. (Hey, a prohibitionist said it, so you should know to question it.) However, there is some degree of truth in it. Here's a link to a more detailed story about the Zogby-MPP connection:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1036/a01.html?1796
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Comment #12 posted by p4me on August 29, 2002 at 15:13:21 PT
Get rid of that tobacco use
Do you think this will help reduce the 30% of high school students that regularly use tobacco? 1,2
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Comment #11 posted by phasetheory on August 29, 2002 at 15:11:18 PT
Off Subject
I'm a school student, but the comment I'm making is off this subject.Have any of you heard on the radio the ad that gives a number, then begins a bash fest on marijuana, it's paid for by government of course. It says people should use marijuana becuase it can affect your concentration. I find it funny however that every arguement pro-hibs use just argue why you shouldn't use it, not why it should be illegal.... but yeah, at the end of the ad the person talking says, if your concentration is that good what was the number said at the beginning of the ad. ( this number was 35,385, ( the number of accidents caused by marijuana) very over estimated). The voice then says, see, isn't your lack of attention bad enough... when you don't remember the number when your not high... but guess what, the third time I heard the ad... and I tokin up... I wasn't even paying attention, but when he asked what the number was... I was able to pay it back it my head. 35,385! WOW, I laughed for a minute thinking how funny that was... I was able to do something better high... I think studies must be done. Marijuana for people who use it often, it really does increase memory and concentration. 
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on August 29, 2002 at 14:58:00 PT
karkulus
I didn't see the end. I had to get a litte work done and I couldn't handle watching it anymore. Kids shouldn't do drugs but this is going to make life very hard for kids that don't listen and their parents with legal fees to defend them. Once again only the poor children will be hurt.
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Comment #9 posted by karkulus on August 29, 2002 at 14:48:33 PT
was that joyce ?..
  at the End there? She said THE ZOGBY POLL only polls NORML members !! That can't be true!!
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Comment #8 posted by karkulus on August 29, 2002 at 14:35:36 PT
Walters?/Walsh ??
  Walters always reminds me of Joe Walsh (of "James Gang/Eagles)fame ..Maybe Joe got Hit by lightning and his "EVIL TWIN" John Walters broke off!! Think about it!! Joe Walsh J.W. ..John Walters J.W. ..now Im scared!!
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Comment #7 posted by karkulus on August 29, 2002 at 14:24:58 PT
What About Ritalin??
 Much more harmful to health.. And remember the boy on the "48 Hrs" ,show that was on all the Pharm's that didn't help ...too bad they weren't there for retort!!
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 29, 2002 at 14:16:40 PT
Here's The Stand Alone Video
http://play.rbn.com/?url=cspan/g2cspan/live/cspan1-g2.rm&proto=rtsp
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on August 29, 2002 at 14:12:54 PT
Here's The Live Program on Real Video!
http://www.cspan.org/watch/cspan_rm.asp
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Comment #4 posted by karkulus on August 29, 2002 at 14:10:49 PT
RATHBONE & JOYCE !!
 I think "JOYCE" and "THE BONE " are also there! And the only way I could Ever STAND to go to school was high! HA!
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on August 29, 2002 at 14:07:24 PT
karkulus 
I'm watching this and I thank God that I don't have a child in the school system now. Oh don't they understand what this will do to the children? I don't think kids should ever do drugs but they will and this is going to hurt so many young people and the future will show that. 
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on August 29, 2002 at 13:59:04 PT
karkulus 
Thanks! I got it on since you mentioned it. This is crazy!!!!
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Comment #1 posted by karkulus on August 29, 2002 at 13:57:01 PT
IT"S on now!!
    ON C_SPAN RIGHT NOW 452 EST JOHN WALTERS!
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