Pubdate: Wed, 13 Dec 2006
Source: Mount Shasta Herald (CA)
Copyright: 2006 Mt. Shasta News
Contact:  http://www.mtshastanews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3515
Author: Rob Mccallum

COUNSELING SEEN AS KEY COMPONENT OF DRUG TEST ISSUE

While it's almost unanimous that drugs and alcohol  present a major 
problem for students in Weed, what to  do about it remains a 
controversial issue, especially  concerning activities.

The community drug task group at Weed High School met  on Dec. 5 to 
discuss results of a survey and drug  testing. But after an involved 
discussion between  administrators, educators, coaches, parents and 
students, it was concluded that more time is needed.

Principal Mike Matheson presented the task group with  results of a 
California healthy kids survey given to  WHS ninth and 11th graders. 
According to the survey,  taken in 2005, alcohol and marijuana showed 
the most  frequent use of any drug.

Eighty-seven percent of juniors and 70 percent of all  freshmen 
surveyed reported any alcohol or drug use in  their lifetimes. Most 
in both samples had tried alcohol  at least once, while marijuana 
spikes from only 42  percent reporting use as freshmen, to 59 percent 
as juniors.

"Those numbers aren't good but it sounds fairly  accurate to me," 
said Steve Neel, a teacher, coach and  father of two WHS students.

Where the task group began to disagree was what to do  about the 
survey results.

The Siskiyou Union High School District voted to  approve drug 
testing for athletes in June, but has met  with opposition in both 
Weed and Mount Shasta. Task  groups at each school were formed and 
deliberations  have been ongoing.

Punishment for a positive test, under one proposal, was  a two-week 
suspension from a team, followed by a season  suspension for a second 
test and a lifetime ban for a  third test.

One parent questioned whether screening for drugs but  not alcohol 
would lead to a shift in abuse. The  proposed test, taken from an 
oral swab, would screen  amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, PCP and THC, 
the active  ingredient in marijuana, but not alcohol.

"My fear is that there will be a shift," said Anne  Hinchcliff, 
mother of students at both Weed and Mount  Shasta High Schools. "If 
they know that they will  be tested for marijuana, they'll just go to beer."

Several in the task group were in support of drug testing.

"If it cleans one kid up, then it's effective."  Weed police chief 
Martin Nicholas said.

One member of the task group, who asked to remain  anonymous, cited 
athletics as the biggest positive  influence on academic performance 
in some cases.

"A lot of kids wouldn't come to class without  sports," they said. 
“They might not have good home  lives, but they can come to 
practice and have coaches  who care about them

I think if you take that away you're pushing them over  the edge."

Neel was critical of drug testing, citing similar drug  tests at 
College of the Siskiyous he felt were  ineffective.

"If a kid gets caught and taken off the team,  that's it, that's the 
end," Neel said. "That won't  work if it's just a punishment program. 
If it's a true  prevention program, then it will help."

But Matheson predicted that neither WHS, the SUHSD nor  state school 
systems would be able to absorb costs of  an intensive drug counseling program.

"The education establishment can't take it," he  said. "We can't 
provide the funds, information and  extracurricular activities. The 
strong counseling part  is where it all falls apart."

Others in the task group thought that suspension from a  team would 
lead to progress, regardless of a counseling  component.

"We're making a huge assumption that if we kick  them off a team that 
they'll go out and become an  addict," said Dan DeRoss, a teacher, 
coach and parent.  "As a parent, if my kid tests positive, I feel the 
accountability is on me. I'll do whatever it takes to  make things right."

"You'd be the exception to the rule," said  baseball coach and Weed 
police sergeant Gene Toms.  "Alcohol and marijuana are accepted by 
Mom and Dad; there's a reason behind this problem and we're 
drawing  it out. It's what we do next that is the big issue."

The task group will meet again on Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. at  the WHS library.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine