Pubdate: Thu, 31 Aug 2006
Source: Daily Review (PA)
Copyright: 2006 The Daily Review
Contact:  http://www.thedailyreview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1015
Author: James Loewenstein
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

PROGRAM FEATURES VOLUNTARY DRUG TESTS FOR 7TH GRADERS

TOWANDA -- The Towanda School District is launching a  voluntary 
drug-testing program for seventh-graders,  which will reward students 
for testing drug-free.

Students who test drug-free will receive discounts from  local 
merchants and/or free passes to school sporting  events and dances, 
according to written information  supplied by Steven Gobble, 
principal of Towanda  Junior/Senior High School.

Students must volunteer to participate in the program,  and they 
would need their parents' permission to  participate, too, Gobble said.

"This is an opportunity for those students who have not  given into 
peer pressure to be rewarded for their  positive behavior," Gobble 
wrote in a letter to  parents. "The purpose of this program is to 
promote  positive behavior and to deter young children from ever 
trying drugs in the first place."

The drug testing would take place in the nurse's office  at the 
junior/senior high school, Gobble said. The drug  test would be 
administered by an employee from Memorial  Hospital, he said.

Early in this term, all participating students will  submit to an 
initial drug test, which would consist of  an oral swab, Gobble said.

If a student tests negative, he will receive an  identification badge.

"The student can use this badge to receive discounts  from local 
merchants and/or free passes to school  sporting events and dances," 
Gobble wrote in the letter  to parents.

Over the course of the school year, students will be  randomly 
selected to participate in a second or  possibly third drug test, Gobble said.

If a student tests positive for drugs, his  identification badge 
would be revoked, Gobble said.

Also, the students' parents will be notified by mail of  the results 
of the drug tests. If the result is  positive, additional materials 
will be sent to the  child's parents to help them "best deal with the 
situation, including information about drug and alcohol  counseling 
opportunities," Gobble said.

In addition, if the student tests positive for drugs,  he or she 
would be referred to a Student Assistance  Program counselor, Gobble 
said. The referral will  "ensure that the student receives the 
necessary help  and resources needed to deal with the 
immediate  situation," Gobble said.

A local non-profit organization, Partners in Family &  Community 
Development, is providing assistance to the  program, Gobble said.

"Drug testing will be done by Memorial Hospital and the  results will 
be sent to Partners in Family & Community  Development," Gobble wrote 
in a letter to parents. "All  information will be kept strictly 
confidential at  Partners in Family & Community Development. The 
school  administration and school staff will never be given the 
results of the test."

"Identification numbers will be put on information  reported to 
conceal the identity of the students,"  Gobble wrote.

The school will not discipline any student who has  received a 
positive drug test, and their names will not  be turned over to the 
police, Gobble said.

The student who tests positive would not be allowed to  re-join the 
program until he had successfully passed  two consecutive drug tests.

Other school districts in the United States have  implemented similar 
programs, Gobble said.

While the discounts that will be offered to students  have not yet 
been determined, they might include  discounts on food, snacks, video 
games and movie  tickets, Gobble indicated.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman