Drug Testing

Parents Should Know How Kids Cheat on Drug Tests

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on May 12th, 2012

Parents should be on the lookout when kids try to cheat on drug tests. Here are things that kids do to cover up their drug use when testing procedures are done.

drug tests1. Drinking too much water before giving urine samples. This is probably the oldest method used not only by kids but for adults too. According to Sharon Levy, a pediatrician from the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, kids consume water to flush out the drugs in their system.

2. Destroying samples. When kids get desperate, they will find ways to tamper with the samples. A few drops of bleach, detergent, vinegar or cleaners are added to mess up samples that would have tested positive for drugs.

3. Using another person’s clean urine samples. When kids know they are about to be tested, they sometimes resort to using other urine samples that are clean or even purchase freeze-dried urine samples online to use as their own.

4. Taking vitamins. To aid in the body’s metabolism, kids take Vitamin B3 in the hopes of getting rid of any drug traces in the body. What they don’t know is that this could lead to complicated conditions and even death. There have been previous reports of kids rushed to ERs due to a sudden drop in blood sugar levels or “liver toxicity” caused by an overdose of niacin.

5. Changing the drug of choice. Before the drug testing procedure, kids can switch to other types of drugs that will give them the same euphoric effect but remain clean upon testing. Inhalants are the best examples of alternative drugs that give the same “high” but do not yield positive drug results.

While these methods cannot guarantee a negative drug test, as most drug testing laboratories already have cheat detection tools in place, it is still best to be observant on the practices above.

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Government Promotes Selective Drug Testing in the Workplace

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on April 24th, 2012

In the latest National Drug Control Report for 2012 released last week, the government wants businesses to conduct a drug testing program for their workers to maximize productivity and minimize health-related costs.

Yet not all employees will be subjected to the drug testing procedure and the US Labor Department has not released guidelines pertaining to the matter.

drug testing employeesAdministration spokesperson Rafael Lemaitre from the Office of National Drug Control Policy said that they believe in drug testing as an effective way to help employees who are affected by substance abuse but “…. it is certainly not our policy that every employer in America ought to test and punish employees.”

Last February, Congress allowed states to drug test unemployed welfare recipients who want to get back in the work force. Information gathered from the Society for Human Resource Management claimed that about 57% of industries and businesses require drug testing for applicants.

Sen. Steve Smith (R-Maricopa) who has sponsored a drug testing bill said that most industries today already implement drug testing  for employees. “For a vast majority of very large companies, or private and public sector jobs in general, drug testing is something that’s mandatory. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re on drugs, you probably won’t make the best applicant or interviewee.”

As expected, advocates against drug testing were quick to respond and shared their thoughts on the government’s initiative. Drug Policy Alliance representative Bill Piper commented that “Drug testing has nothing to do with what goes on in the workplace. Drug testing is all about finding out what people did in their time off, and they’re only detecting past marijuana use.”

In a report from the Huffington Post, the Obama Administration is strongly pursuing the idea of drug testing in the workplace. “Workplace programs that provide clear policies regarding drug use; offer prevention and education opportunities for employers and supervisors; conduct drug testing to detect and deter use; and support referral and treatment for those who have substance use disorders can play a large role in reducing the demand for drugs throughout our Nation and in helping drug users get into treatment.”

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Drug Testing Kits for Free at Rural Metro

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on April 20th, 2012

In Rural Metro, Rochester, drug overdose incidents are fast becoming a normal occurrence as an astounding 1,600 calls a year, or 3 to 5 calls a day, are received for ambulance assistance due to overdose related cases. From the total number of calls made, more than a hundred involve kids and young adults aged 10 to 20 years old.

drug testsThis is why the Rural Metro has partnered with the notMYkid organization, a group campaigning against teen addiction, to address the alarming situation.

Through their initiative, 500 free home drug testing kits, with the capacity to determine 12 kinds of drugs including prescription medications, will be made available for parents in the Rochester region at no cost.

From marijuana to Oxycontin, parents will be able to identify which drug their kids are hooked on in minutes using the home testing kits.

Rural Metro General Manger Thomas Bonfiglio said the kits can even be used to open communication lines between parents and their children before drug complications can happen in the family. “Sometimes having this kit will create conversation to prevent from getting into in the first place,” Bonfiglio claimed.

The earlier partnership of the Rochester Police Department and DePaul National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence supported the idea of giving drug testing kits to the community. According to Jennifer Faringer who heads the DePaul National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in Rochester, many parents worry about their kids when it comes to drug issues, and so the kit will be a very useful tool for these concerned parents.

Starting April 21, the kits will be made available in the Rochester area. Parents can visit various locations, including the Rochester Police Headquarters on Exchange Boulevard and the DePaul Council at 1931 Buffalo Road, to take advantage of the free drug testing kits.

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Drug Testing Plan Presented to Maryville Parents

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on April 9th, 2012

A public meeting was held last week at Maryville High School where R-II administrators presented a draft plan for a random drug testing program to be implemented next year depending on the School Board’s approval this spring.

Parents, educators, and students attended the event. District Superintendent Larry Linthacum said that they are continuously working with the school community to solicit inputs for the proposed plan of random drug testing among students in the area. In fact, Linthacum added that the proposal has been posted at the R-II website to gather more opinions on the said policy.

drug free school zoneThe content of the proposal includes the random drug testing process and the accompanying four-tier system of sanctions for students who test positive for drugs such as loss of parking privileges, disqualification from athletic events and other school activities, and permanent suspensions.

Maryville High School Principal Jason Eggers stressed that the main goal of the proposed program is to deter students from using drugs and other illicit substances.

Maryville Treatment Center representative Liz Rosbohm said that being a parent and at the same time a counselor for the treatment facility, she believes that R-II is doing its part in keeping kids away from drug abuse.

“I have had (MTC inmates) say to me, ‘If I had had something in my school to deter me, I wouldn’t be here right now,’” Rosbohm said.

If the plan is approved as it is, Maryville High School and Maryville Middle School students who wish to participate in athletic competitions will form part of the pool of students that will be subjected to random drug testing procedures.

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Eastern Lancaster County School District Confident on Drug Testing Policy

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on April 5th, 2012

The Eastern Lancaster County School District is optimistic that its own version of a drug testing policy will hurdle all legal obstacles and be approved in no time.

District Superintendent Robert Hollister said that Elanco’s drug testing program is patterned after Solanco School District’s policy, but that they have made adjustments to avoid legal scrutiny based on Solanco’s case before they finally got the approval of the courts and of the school community.

middle school studentsElanco presented evidence of drug problems in their institution. In the 634-word detailed “purpose” section of their policy, Elanco presented a report made by the investigative board that looked into the risks of drug abuse in the district. It included discussions, statistics, and surveys participated in by students, parents, teachers, coaches, and school administrators.

“So ours is slightly different (from Solanco’s) in a manner that acknowledges specifically the issues we were having here and the fact that a community task force made the recommendation,” Hollister added.

Hollister further reiterated that a drug testing program is not keen on catching kids on the act but that it is supposed to make them (students) think twice before they succumb to the temptation of experimenting with drugs.

There were a few parents from the area that earlier disagreed with the drug-testing rules but Elanco’s task force is continuing to monitor public opinion with regards to the policy.

While each district allows the testing of “secondary” school students, Elanco opted not to adopt testing on this bracket of students and instead focused on the middle school category where seventh and eighth grade students belong.

To address one parent’s distress on the randomness of the drug testing policy, as her child was chosen twice to undergo the procedure, Hollister claimed this could really happen. “It is a random test every time, so students who were selected once could get selected again, as happened with this student.”

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Drug Testing Program for Beverly Hills High School

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on April 1st, 2012

The Board of Education at the Beverly Hills High is considering having a random drug testing program for students involved in sports and the performing arts.

The board meeting became the first step towards the development of a drug policy at the Beverly Hills High School. While BHHS already conducts random drug checks on campus, Board President Brian Goldberg said the need for a more comprehensive program to control drug use within the campus is quite important. As President of the Board, Goldberg did not deny that he has been receiving reports of students joining in athletic competitions and school performances while under the influence.

teen experimenting on drugsGoldberg added that most students are experimenting with recreational drugs but he is not disregarding steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs on his list.

“I selected these programs over random drug testing throughout the high school because of cost and because of the nature of these programs, particularly with them (students) leaving our campus and representing us offsite on a regular basis.”

Superintendent Gary Woods was tasked to research on the different random drug testing programs implemented by other schools in the district and present his findings to the board.

Yet Board Vice President Jake Manaster is hesitant about implementing a drug testing policy. He claims it is not in the best interest of the school if only a specific group of students will be part of the policy. “I can’t see myself supporting random drug testing on a group of individuals; it would have to be the entire campus.”

Manaster continues to question the legality of drug testing procedures but admits it won’t necessarily become a hindrance for the school as Supreme Court rulings as early as 2002 already stressed the constitutionality of such a policy.

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