PEQUANNOCK DRUG TESTING FINDS FIRST TRACE

PEQUANNOCK - One student at Pequannock Township High School tested
positive last week for substance abuse, an administrator said
Tuesday. It was the first trace of drugs or alcohol found through
the school district's drug policy.

District high school students may voluntarily join the random test
pool, but those who participate in sports or extracurricular
activities are required to do so. Pequannock is the first district
in the state with voluntary drug testing of middle school students.

Officials would not provide specifics on the student or illegal
substance, said William Trusheim, the Pequannock Valley Middle
School principal and spokesman for the district's drug program. For
example, Trusheim wouldn't say whether the student volunteered or
was picked randomly because he was involved in activities. But he
did confirm that the student remains in school.

As outlined in the policy, Trusheim said, the student's parents have
been notified and a student assistant counselor is providing counseling.

"No suspension is involved in the random testing," Trusheim said.
"That's one of the differences between random testing and suspicion testing."

With suspicion testing - the older drug policy that's still
sometimes used - a teacher or administrator can order students to be
tested if they show signs of drug abuse. Refusal can result in suspension.

The township launched its federally funded, random drug testing
program in November. It's intended more to deter students from using
drugs rather than catch them in the act, Trusheim said.

Here's how it works:

Each week, program coordinator John Graf selects a handful of
students - volunteers from the middle school and volunteers and
students in activities from the high school. They are pulled out of
class individually, Graf said, and asked to give saliva and urine
samples in the nurse's office. The district doesn't test for
steroids because it's too expensive, Graf said.

When there's a non-negative test, the sampling is sent to Quest
Diagnostics |for confirmation, which was the case last week.

So far, about 700 students have either volunteered to be tested or
have been pegged because they participate in high school activities.
About 60 students - in the middle and high schools - have been tested.

The goal, Trusheim said, is to test at least 20 percent of the
students by June.

Administrators would still like to see more volunteers, especially
in the middle school.

The parent organization there has provided funding for bracelets
similar to the rubber Lance Armstrong "Live Strong" ones used to
promote cancer research. This week, middle school volunteers will
receive theirs, white ones with the inscription: "Pequannock RDT 100
Percent Clean." RDT stands for random drug testing.