COUNTY DEBATES RANDOM DRUG TESTS

Such a policy would affect students who join extracurricular activities or
who drive to school and park on school property.

Should middle and high school students randomly be tested for drug use?

That's the question the Roanoke County Community/Schools Prevention Council
is trying to answer. The council plans to hold the second of four public
forums Tuesday at the Quality Inn in Salem to give county parents a chance
to speak on the issue.

If Roanoke County schools were to adopt a random or "suspicionless" drug
testing policy, it would affect any student who participates in athletics or
extracurricular activities or who drives to school and parks on school
property.

The first forum was held March 15 at Hidden Valley High School. About 100
people showed up with questions and opinions . The council handed out one
pamphlet that states random testing can successfully deter students from
using drugs, and another that contends there is no scientific proof that it
works.

"The research is really inconclusive," said JoAnn Burkholder, the county's
student assistance program administrator . She said that's why parents are
being asked to weigh in.

About a dozen people spoke at Hidden Valley, and most said they were against
the random tests. Parents raised concerns that the tests violated students'
privacy and may only deter students from using the drugs they would be
tested for, though it hasn't been determined what those drugs would be.

Tim Via, assistant medical director for clinical chemistry at Carilion
Consolidated Laboratory, said it's least expensive to test for marijuana and
cocaine and more expensive to test for anabolic steroids and inhalants.
Students probably would not be tested for amphetamines because those with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may be on prescription
amphetamines, he said.

Tim Fitzgerald, president of Safety and Compliance Services, which tests bus
drivers, explained that if someone tests positive for drug use, a second
test is done to determine which drug was in the person's system. He said the
system is very high-tech and there's no chance of a false positive.

Fitzgerald said random testing "is not a cure-all," but he said he believes
that it does deter students from using drugs.

Parent Linda Nader wanted to know how the tests would be funded.

"We don't know where the money's going to come from," Burkholder said. She
said that's one of the questions that will have to be answered if parents
want the random tests. Decisions will also have to be made on who would be
authorized to receive the test results and how to obtain consent from each
student's parent or guardian.

Both students and parents gasped when Burkholder explained that if a parent
or guardian will not consent, then the student will not be allowed to
participate in activities or park on school property.

Delores Phillips of the prevention council said the schools are not yet
taking a stance on the random tests.

"We thought it would be best to see how the parents and the community feel,"
she said.

Some parents have been discussing the issue since 2002, when the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that it is constitutional to randomly test students
involved in extracurricular activities not connected to academics and
students who drive to school and park in the school's lot. Both parking and
after-school activities are considered a privilege and not a requirement for
school.

The school's current policy is to test only students who are suspected of
being under the influence, possessing, distributing or selling substances
during regular school hours, at a school function, or going to or from
school. The Virginia High School League's policy is to test students
involved in extracurricular activities or athletics during a season and who
are found guilty of being under the influence, possessing or distributing
substances over the weekend off school property.

Phillips said information from the four forums will be gathered, compiled
and presented March 31 to the Roanoke County School Board and Board of
Supervisors. A short public opinion survey about random testing can be
completed on the prevention coalition's Web site, www.rcc-spc.org.