Pubdate: Sun, 18 Mar 2007
Source: Steamboat Pilot & Today, The (CO)
Copyright: 2007 The Steamboat Pilot & Today
Contact:  http://www.stmbt-pilot.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1549
Author: Alexis DeLaCruz

SCHOOL DRUG POLICIES DIFFER

Steamboat Springs -- Czar's bark commands attention. His keen sense 
of smell has failed him only once as a state-certified, drug-sniffing 
dog, and it has secured him a job uncovering narcotics for the Moffat 
County Sheriff's Office.

On March 7, Czar, a chocolate Labrador retriever, and his handler, 
Moffat County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Courtland Folks, made a special 
trip across county lines to roam Hayden High School's hallways and 
parking lots. The message they sent was clear -- drug use and 
possession will not be tolerated at the school.

It was Czar's first trip to a Routt County school, and it shouldn't 
come as much of a surprise that it was the Hayden School District 
that invited him and Folks.

Hayden has arguably the most proactive drug policies of any Routt 
County school district. But district officials in Hayden, Steamboat 
Springs and South Routt agreed there aren't right policies or wrong 
policies. Rather, they said, each district has adopted a drug policy 
that is philosophically in line with the beliefs of the district and 
its community.

Hayden High School conducts random drug searches, including visits 
from drug-sniffing dogs. It also reserves the right to randomly drug 
test its students.

Hayden High School Principal Troy Zabel said the March 7 visit from 
Czar was in line with the school's random drug testing policy, and 
that it served as a good educational experience.

"My main reason for bringing the dog in was to use him as a tool for 
a learning experience," he said. "We wanted the kids to know that 
while we're not going after anyone, we are looking."

Zero Tolerance

Steamboat Springs High School is the only school in the county to 
maintain a "zero tolerance" policy in regards to drugs, officials said.

Superintendent Donna Howell said students are not to bring any 
tobacco, alcohol or illegal drug onto school grounds, and they face 
stiff punishment if they violate that policy.

Drug-sniffing dogs have never entered the high school, she said.

"As a district we have not discussed random drug searches such as a 
dog," she said. "We would not put anything like in place without 
community input."

In 2003, when Hayden's current drug policy was enacted, parents 
expressed concern that students' civil liberties were being 
compromised and that the policy created an "us versus them" feeling 
by requiring any student who leaves campus to submit to random drug testing.

Zabel, who was not the principal at the time the policy was 
instituted, said the policy has served the school well.

"It was a philosophical decision based on the high rate of students 
coming to school under the influence," he said. "We feel like this 
policy does a good job. The biggest thing is that we're not out to 
get anyone or trying to catch and string anyone up. We're trying to 
be proactive by letting our students know we support them but that 
certain behavior is not tolerated."

Steamboat Springs High School Assistant Principal Kevin Taulman said 
he and Principal Mike Knezevich came from school districts that used 
random drug testing, and that while they have discussed whether to 
implement random drug testing, the school would not implement 
anything without strong support from the community.

"I think using drug dogs is just a tool, and I hope any administrator 
would tell you that it's purely a preventative measure," Taulman 
said. "There's no way I'd ever move forward with something like that 
without tremendous support from the (Steamboat Springs School Board) 
and the community."

If the discussion ever did surface, parents and community members 
likely would come out against such a policy citing invasion of 
privacy and civil liberty issues, he said.

Routt County Sheriff Gary Wall, who campaigned on a platform of 
protecting civil liberties and constitutional rights, agreed.

"Without having reason or probable cause, I probably wouldn't bring a 
dog in to indiscriminately sniff lockers in Routt County schools or 
any other public institution," he said. "That's not what the Routt 
County Sheriff's Office is about. As I've said before, just because 
it's legal doesn't mean it's right."

Wall said he has not yet met with area school administrators in the 2 
1/2 months since he became sheriff. He said he's eager to discuss his 
ideas for drug enforcement and educational opportunities in schools.

"I think in-depth drug education is part of the solution," he said. 
"My hope is that administrators and parents will bring their concerns 
to me and allow my office to investigate those concerns without using 
a blanket technique like drug-sniffing dogs."

Education = Enforcement

School officials, medical professionals and law enforcement officers 
alike agree that drug education is key to teaching children and 
teenagers about the dangers and risks of using drugs and alcohol.

Garrett Wiggins, task force commander for the Greater Routt and 
Moffat Narcotic Enforcement Team, said the days of D.A.R.E. -- Drug 
Abuse Resistance Education -- are over, and that schools and law 
enforcement agencies are taking more aggressive approaches to drug education.

"We know for a fact we do have drugs in most of our high schools and 
that our students do experience drug-related problems," he said. 
"It's something we should all be concerned about."

Wiggins said schools bolstering strong educational programs and 
making school resource officers available to students help deter some 
students from using drugs.

Dr. Dan Smilkstein, who helped develop the SteamboatCares survey at 
Steamboat Springs High School, said he always is amazed at how 
nonchalant students are about their drug use. The SteamboatCares 
survey asks students to be candid about their social behavior. The 
surveys are filled out anonymously.

"The biggest surprise to me is how matter-of-fact (the students) are 
about their behavior," he said. "It is absolutely acceptable to them. 
It's so commonplace."

Smilkstein said while drugs are a huge issue in schools, alcohol 
always will be the No. 1 substance abused by teens.

"There's a national trend that kids are using all the drugs that have 
always been around, but at a much younger age," he said.

While school officials can implement policy and enforce punishment 
for using or possessing drugs, most teens use drugs during the day 
away from campus and then return to school, he said.

"That's what prompted our policy," Zabel said. "We were having some 
serious issues with students leaving our campus and coming back under 
the influence," he said.

Czar's visit to Hayden High School may have been his first, but it 
won't be his last, Zabel added.

"We will definitely do follow up," he said. "I was very satisfied. I 
think it opened up a good experience for us to talk to our kids and 
get the word out."
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MAP posted-by: Elaine