Pubdate: Fri, 24 May 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) DECATUR TO HOLD DRUG-TEST POLICY HEARINGS Students and parents can get explanations of a proposed drug-testing program for Decatur's high schools at public hearings set for the next two weeks. The first hearing will be Thursday at Austin High School, and the second will be June 13 at Decatur High School. Both will start at 6:30 p.m. in the auditoriums. "Before we institute this type of policy, we need to get all of the public input we can," said Austin Principal Ed Nichols, chairman of the committee of administrators, teachers, school board members and parents who proposed the policy. "It's vital that students and parents get all the information they can, including why we want a policy like this, how we would institute this policy and how we put this policy together," he said. After studying the issue for 15 months, the committee proposed the tobacco, alcohol and drug policy at a Decatur City Board of Education work session May 13. It would test students participating in competitive extracurricular activities for alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, steroids, tobacco and other substances. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh