A Long Beach father recently took a stand against his son's local school district because, he says, the drug testing policy is too strict. John Lindorfer sent letters to several newspapers and television stations across Mississippi and developed a website explaining his reasons against the Long Beach School District's policy. His son Aaron is a senior at Long Beach High School. Lindorfer said that Aaron was required by the district to submit to drug testing because he wanted to participate in extracurricular activities. He wouldn't let Aaron comply, based on his Fourth Amendment rights, and now Aaron can't be in the band, color guard, or Thesbian troop. [continues 545 words]
The head of the Southeast Mississippi Drug Task Force hopes, in time, that his new drug education program will prevent crimes from ever happening. Commander Roger Williams said Lt. Van Tuggle designed the program so that anyone can understand drugs and the serious harm they cause. "We felt something lacking in this area," Williams said. "There was a need for it but nobody really pushed it in this area. We felt like it was an important thing to us." Williams also said the program is unique because the information is educational enough for adults but it isn't too complicated for children. [continues 158 words]
Laurel Police Chief Tim Waterson said a crackdown on illegal drugs was a major cause in the reduction of Laurel's crime rate for the second year in a row in most categories. Waterson released the 2002 Index Crime Statistics Wednesday. The FBI releases crime information every year. The federal organization looks at statistics in homicides, rapes, aggravated assaults, robberies and burglaries, larceny, auto theft, and sometimes arson. Laurel crimes were down in every category except robberies and burglaries. "We're targeting the dealers," Waterson said. "We had one of the largest cocaine bust in history this year and the largest marijuana bust. We've got 95-percent of crimes being drug related because people are trying to gain money to buy drugs." [continues 157 words]
The outcome of last week's survey of drug usage at R. H. Watkins High School has already been noticed. Students, parents, and Laurel School District faculty members started to show a little more interest in school programs like D. A. R. E., drug classes, and anti-smoking programs. Laurel School District Safe and Drug Free School Coordinator Paula Watkins said schools had programs in place for years, but the Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education (P. R. I. D. E.) survey helped them focus on areas that need the most help. [continues 509 words]
A student survey at R. H. Watkins High School shows that almost 40 percent of the school's seniors used some form of illegal drugs during the past year. The Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE) report also shows a 66.7 percent alcohol usage in the same age group. Dr. Thomas Gleaton, co-founder and president of PRIDE, spoke at a town meeting with Laurel and Jones County school parents Tuesday night at Watkins High School. Gleaton and a panel of local leaders talked about the problems children face with drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in the community and in their schools. They also talked about ways to stop usage before it starts. [continues 560 words]
