DRUG DOGS CRITICALLY NEEDED IN ISLE SCHOOLS

The Board of Education is considering the use of "drug-sniffing dogs"
as a tool to fight the substance-abuse crisis in Hawai'i public
schools. This program would use dogs that are proficient and certified
to detect not only drugs, but alcohol, gunpowder and abused
medications.

A detection-canine program is critically needed in Hawai'i schools.
School canine programs have been proven to be effective and have been
supported by courts across the country. News reports have pointed to
U.S. Department of Justice findings that Hawai'i has the highest rate
in the nation of high school students who drink on campus -- more than
twice the national average. And our state is tied for second in the
nation for marijuana use on campus.

A 2002 state Department of Health study reports that one in five high
school seniors admits to having been drunk or "stoned" on campus; one
in four needs treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse upon graduation.
A 2003 study by the University of Hawai'i's Social Sciences Department
reports that one in three Hawai'i high school students was "offered,
sold or given an illegal drug on school property." The same study
reports that Hawai'i's youth are 26 percent more likely than Mainland
counterparts to be offered or sold drugs on public school campuses.

Why does Hawai'i take top honors in this crisis? Perhaps because
Hawai'i and Alaska are the only two states that have not been using
detection canines in schools. Detection canines have been used in
schools for more than 30 years across the Mainland. In 2003, two
Hawai'i private schools began using this safety tool and continue to
benefit from the results.

"As an administrator in a small private high school on O'ahu, one of
my responsibilities is school discipline. This means being aware of
drugs on or near the campus. Since using Interquest Detection Canines
of Hawai'i, the number of drug-related violations has been reduced to
less than half the previous year," said Stan Vincent, dean of students
at the Academy of the Pacific in Honolulu.

The state Department of Education implemented a pilot program in three
Maui schools last year. The program was highly successful, and all
three schools want it to become an ongoing program. Mainland schools
with detection-canine programs find not only a decrease in the amount
of contraband on campus, but also a decrease in violence, bullying and
gang activity.

It is currently very difficult and uncomfortable for school
administrators to have "reasonable suspicion" of contraband in order
to justify a "search." Not only does a detection canine legally and
easily provide this, but it is done with 100 percent impartiality.
Sniffs are conducted on a random, unannounced basis during class time.
There are no lockdowns or disruptions. If there is contraband, the
canine will find it. The message, therefore is: Don't bring it, use it
or sell it at school. The deterrent effect is immediate and effective.

But are we sending a message to our children that we do not trust
them? The above studies would suggest that there are a significant
number of students who cannot be trusted to follow rules and laws for
safety. We are sending a message to students, parents and communities
that student safety and providing an environment conducive to learning
is of highest priority.

What right is more important than a student's right to a safe campus?
No guns, no alcohol, no drugs. Let an impartial dog make the judgment
and a handler do an inspection. Preserve a positive, trusting
relationship between administration and students.

Are we violating students' Fourth Amendment rights to privacy? No. The
U.S. and Hawai'i Supreme Courts have ruled that the "sniff" of a
certified detection canine is not a considered a "search." However,
courts have ruled that the canine's "alert" provides the "reasonable
suspicion" required to conduct an inspection as outlined in Chapter 19
of the Hawai'i Board of Education's adminsitrative rules.

Is having canines in our schools the answer to our substance-abuse
crisis? No, Hawai'i's crisis requires multi-level efforts. But canines
are an impartial, legal and effective tool being used in schools
throughout the country. Take charge, Hawai'i, on the critical, youth
level with deterrence of guns, drugs and alcohol in our schools.

Whitney White is president of Interquest Detection Canines of Hawai'i.
She wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.