DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS IN SCHOOLS GETS BOARD'S UNANIMOUS APPROVAL: 'IT'S AN
EPIDEMIC'

Abbotsford school district's new comprehensive drug strategy passed
unanimously at Monday's school board meeting.

Now school officials will begin looking for a company to bring in
drug-sniffing dogs for the most controversial part of the policy.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association, which has been vocal in its
opposition to the plan, did not make a presentation to the school board as
planned Monday night.

They raised concerns in a letter about the high number of "false positives"
that could be indicated by drug dogs.

However, Bernadette Fielding of STOP (support teens in overcoming problems)
spoke in favour of the policy.

"It looks like it's been well put together and well thought through," she
said. "If it saves one child, you've done your job and more."

The policy was pushed forward by trustee Uultsje De Jong, who argued the
school district had already received a lot of feedback about the proposed
policy, and felt it was time to approve it now, to ensure implementation
could begin early next semester.

School trustees pointed to the growing drug problem in Abbotsford and said
they needed to take steps to attempt to keep drugs out of school and
students from becoming addicted.

Vice chairman John Smith noted that between September 2000 and June 2004,
the school population grew 2.8 per cent, but the number of drug and alcohol
suspensions in the same period grew 119 per cent.

"Last year alone, it grew by 26.6 per cent," said Smith. "It's an epidemic.
Someone needs to take a stand on this."

"I don't see it as a drastic step, I see it as another tool in a toolkit,"
said trustee Cathy Goodfellow.

The new policy outlines steps for prevention, including consistent
education around the district on drug issues, intervention and rehabilitation.

Drug dogs will be used for random sweeps of school lockers, and will only
be done when students are in class or after hours. The area to be searched
will be blocked off, and lockers indicated by drug dogs will be opened
later by school administration.

Searches will be video-taped.

Students and parents will also have to sign a form outlining the rules for
use of school lockers.