SCHOOL INTRODUCES SUBSTANCE TESTING

Should Dick or Jane wander into 100 Mile Junior one day and be
suspected of being intoxicated or high, they could very well get
enrolled in the latest course the school has to offer - Stimulant Analysis 101.

The principal of 100 Mile Junior, Mark Wintjes, has purchased test
kits to detect alcohol and drug consumption.

Head of the school since Aug. 1, Wintjes made the decision to buy the
kits in order to deter students from partaking.

"It's a pro-active approach to just saying no to drugs and alcohol in
the school," he said. "It's not in reaction to a problem at the
Junior, but it's more of a pro-active approach saying that drugs and
alcohol don't mix with learning."

While the "Personal Breath Alcohol Tester" is cheap - costing 50
cents for each test - and reusable, the "Personal Drug Tester" comes
with a somewhat heftier price tag.

The school has purchased five units at $25 per and they can only be
used once. It tests one's saliva for marijuana, crystal meth,
amphetamines, cocaine and opiates.

"It is chromatographic approach so it will actually move up the scale
and give you a reading, similar to the way a pregnancy test would
operate," said Wintjes. "It will give you a band in the area that a
particular drug is located in."

The results, he stated, are available within five minutes.

Responsible for administering the tests, which are not mandatory, are
Wintjes and, in his absence, vice-principal Calvin Williams.

The issue of invasion of privacy has not been lost on the principal
and he defends the good of the school over anyone choosing to imbibe
alcohol or use drugs.

"If the student's rights conflict with the overall school's learning
environment, then we have a duty to protect the learning environment
of the school," Wintjes said.

"So in that case, if we suspect a student of being on drugs and they
do not want to take the test, we'll follow the same procedure (as in
the past). We will contact parents and have parents come in. Parents
might want them to take it, they might not.

"We'll still involve the parents in making that decision."

Should students test positive, they will be suspended for 10 days on
first offence, in accordance with School District 27's policy.

Second time caught comes with an indefinite suspension.

"But that's just the consequence," Wintjes said. "Then we have a duty
to (ask) 'how are we going to help this child?' So we look at drug
and alcohol counseling, we look at the community and what other
services are being offered - and there are a number of them in 100
Mile - to get on board with the student as to what they're doing and
how it is affecting their bodies."

Alcohol test kits, Wintjes noted, are used in some schools. Peter
Skene Ogden has one but principal, Vic Brett says it was purchased by
a prior administrator. Brett wasn't even aware it was at the senior
high until he was contacted last week.

Drug test kits, however, are much less common.

"I believe Columneetza (Williams Lake) is looking at it and they're
basing it on the same premise as we are. If this is another deterrent
to help kids stay off of drugs, then it's worth it," said Wintjes.

"Again, that proactive approach as opposed to 'we're trying to catch
you on drugs.' That's not the intent. The intent is to help the
student that may happen to be on drugs."

Wintjes anticipates he'll receive backlash from both parents and the
community over what some will invariably view as a controversial
method to help make the school, drug and alcohol free.

"What it will do is, it'll set off a bit of a chain here that
(people) say, 'If you've made this purchase, then why have you done
it? Is there a big problem at the junior high?'

"In my perceptions of being here, in these first couple of months, is
that no, this is a fairly normal school when it comes to drugs and
alcohol, falling well within the norms of other high schools."

Ultimately, Wintjes wants the community to know that the school has a
zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol.

As for the cost of the kits, the principal had no problem defending
the cash outlay.

"For $125, if I can have a program that will keep kids away from
drugs, that to me is worth it. And this is a big deterrent."