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.