Your school's drug and alcohol policy?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>What are the policies at your school concerning co-curricular and extra-curricular activities (not athletics) like? How extensive are they? Have they had an effect on the actions of students? Or are they just something people sign and forget about?</p>

<p>Without getting into too much background detail, our school is about to enact a new drug and alcohol policy encompassing both co- and extra-curricular activities, in addition to athletics, which are already restricted. The problem is working out the details.</p>

<p>Now I believe the school has complete jurisdiction over this. The school and community are giving us these activities as privileges and they have the right to take those away. I also understand extra punishment for "student leaders," though if kids are justifying their behavior just because "well he/she is doing it," then i think we should examine how we're teaching our kids to make choices, but yet again, that's not the point. It's the technicalities of the policy that I disagree with.</p>

<p>I have a few main concerns with the policy as it stands:
2nd/3rd offenses are grounds for being kicked off of an activity for one school year/rest of high school career. But if they aren't doing any ECs, doesn't that just leave more time for alcohol and drugs? I think it's important to get kids back into ECs as soon as possible. Also consider the amount of "growing up" that occurs during three years of high school. How does your school handle this?</p>

<p>If a student is found not guilty in a court of law of say, alcohol consumption, they can still be found guilty by our school. While I suppose these are two different spheres, I've always considered a court of law to be above that of a school. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I found that slightly disturbing.</p>

<p>There should be an appeal process of some sort, I believe, whether immediately or after a set period of time. While students can't file complains against other students, one issue I'm worried about is parents whose children have been punished beginning to seek out and file complaints against other students as some sort of revenge. Maybe I'm being skeptical, but I wouldn't be surprised.</p>

<p>A couple other student council members and I went to the school board meeting last night to get more info and voice our concerns. I got up to make my point that I know was stated before but needed to be reiterated: students who are at parties but not drinking should not be punished. I understand the motives of this (parents not wanting their children around it, administrators hoping to "ostracize" the drinkers--haha right), but if anything, someone at a party not drinking acts as a much better deterrent than any policy ever would. Of course, I get done saying this only to be condescended to by the superintendent that "that was never part of the policy, only some discussion at the beginning." But I talked to the SC president, who was there last week, I even read her notes, and that's basically the only aspect of the issue they talked about the whole time. So he basically embarrassed me in front of everyone for no reason. Frustrating.</p>

<p>Anyway, I'm trying to make this as short as possible. So, what do you think? I don't want this to turn into a "drinking and drugs are bad/drinking and drugs are good" debate, but just about the policy.</p>

2

<p>Well, I'm not sure about my school's policies, but I agree about the getting in trouble with the court, and THEN getting in trouble at school.</p>

<p>Sophomore year, I got in some huge trouble with the police, and then when I went to school the next day, I got in huge trouble there....for the same thing. Kinda dumb.</p>

3

<p>Yeah, that point was brought up, too. But at the end of the day, the school doesn't want "delinquents" representing their soccer team or newspaper staff. That, essentially, is what it's come down to. Our school had a big "webshot" scandal last year, and the administration became worried about our school's reputation. </p>

<p>Of course, they're telling us it's out of concern for the safety of the student body, but it's not like drinking, in my town anyway, is anymore of an issue today than it was five, ten, or thirty years ago. Are they telling us they weren't concerned with our safety last year, or the years before? I've found the timing of the issue rather interesting. But whether that's true or not, I keep straying from the point--I just get kind of worked up about it.</p>

4

<p>My school just started a Random Drug Test policy. 5 - 12 students are tested each week. If a student fails, they are not punished academically, but are not allowed to participate in any school activities for 60 days. The second offense is a school year. Also, the person is required to go to special drug abuse classes. School activities include driving to school, by the way. Personally I do not agree with this invasion of privacy, and I have therefore not signed the consent form. However, I was just informed today that if I do not have it signed by the end of the week, I will be kicked out of all the school programs I am a part of, and NHS will be taken off of my transcript...So much for the right to protest...</p>

5

<p>We're starting random drug tests for athletes next year and I don't know about much of anything else. I really don't care. It doesn't stop anyone from using them either way. :)</p>

6

<p>My school doesn't do drug testing, but they're pretty strict with drugs and alcohol (when they do catch kids).</p>

<p>My class had a bunch of kids kicked out sophomore year because of drugs, and a few of the residents were kicked out of the dorms for the rest of the year. A couple guys got suspended this year because they got drunk at a football game.</p>

<p>It apparently hasn't had much effect. Most guys' thought process usually goes like, "Well, I'm smarter. I just won't get caught." I know a bunch of people who regularly smoke pot and/or drink.</p>

7

<p>My school is relatively laxed with the drug and alcohol policy, in terms of the consequences. The rules basically state that all students agree to act as minors with drug and alcohol hall use, meaning you can't smoke even if you are a legal senior. The rules apply for whether you are on and off campus. If you are caught breaking the no use rule, the consequences can range from getting Saturday Night Study Hall at school, social probation, being asked to leave or expulsion.
The school also has this program where they have outside speakers come for three days and talk about the affects of drugs and drinking, but nothing too extreme like random drug tests...I guess it just depends on the school.</p>

8

<p>random drug tests... if you fail your expelled.. if you get caught with alcohol your expelled its as simple as that</p>