SCHOOLS URGED TO TEST FOR DRUGS

Our elite sportspeople face it and Hawke's Bay students could be next
as the pressure goes on to introduce drug testing in secondary schools.

The push to establish the policies was initiated by DrugTest NZ, a
new national drug and alcohol-testing service based in Hawke's Bay.

Its business development manager, Susan Davis, is working with
businesses to develop workplace policies that will address drug issues.

DrugTest NZ now wants to work with secondary schools in the Bay to
develop alcohol policies and the drug-testing kits it promotes as a
tool to identify students with drug issues.

Mrs Davis has approached Hawke's Bay District Health Board' public
health unit health promoter, Sandy Keen, to help develop drug
policies for the region's high schools.

Mrs Keen showcased the concept to the Hastings District Council's
safer community advisory committee last week. The committee has also
thrown its support behind the initiative.

Mrs Keen told the committee a booklet would be distributed to high
schools to help them develop drug policies and promote the
introduction of drug-testing.

She said while some secondary schools already had drug policies in
place, a standard needed to be developed and agreed upon to ensure uniformity.

"There are about 20 secondary schools in Hawke's Bay that have drug
policies. The rest have no policies or policies that don't work," Mrs
Keen told the committee.

"Some schools just move the students straight away while others just
ignore the problem.

"We need a standard policy where the schools have to deal with the
problem, and not just move students on to another school," she said.

Schools would be encouraged to offer a probationary period for
students to seek help if they tested positive for drugs or alcohol.

Students would then be retested before disciplinary action, such as
suspension or expulsion, occurred.

Mrs Keen said implementing the policies would require approval from
board of trustee members from each school.

High schools would be targeted initially and later, primary and
intermediate schools could be included in the project.

"Sometimes it's hard to tell schools that there are drug issues but
what I am trying to do is raise awareness of young people so they can
make better choices down the track," Mrs Keen said.

She said Hukarere College, Eskdale, had developed its own drug and
alcohol policy which was available for other schools to use as a
possible model.

"This (policy) is not to get children kicked out of school. It's to
get them help - it's early intervention," she said.

Mrs Keen said it would probably take up to two years for the policies
to be developed.