STUDENTS SUSPENDED FOR DRUG POSSESSION

When School District 69 (Qualicum) calls in the RCMP drug dog, it's not
something that's taken lightly.

Principal Clyde Inouye at Springwood Middle School in Parksville contacted
Oceanside RCMP in April after seven students were found with marijuana.

The students were suspended and the next day the dog, which usually works
in traffic services, was brought in.

No more drugs were detected by the dog, says assistant superintendent Sean
McKierahan.

He adds that there were also stories floating around the school that week
about some drug activity in relation to April 20 (4/20), a code some pot
smokers use to signify lighting up.

But McKierahan stresses that the stories would not have been enough
evidence to warrant calling the police to bring in the dog.

"There has to be information that would lead us to believe that there were
drugs brought into the school," he says.

Sergeant Bruce Wright confirmed this week that the dog was taken into the
school, three lockers were opened but no drugs were found. McKierahan says
the district has a policy to deal with drug and alcohol related incidences.

"It's a very tough policy," he says.

On a first offence, any student found in possession of, or under the
influence of drugs or alcohol gets a minimum five-day suspension followed
by a meeting with McKierahan before being allowed back to school.

A second offence garners a minimum 20-day suspension and the student must
appear before a district disciplinary hearing before going back to class.

On a third offence, the student receives a six-month, or until the end of
the year, suspension and is removed from all district schools.