Posts Tagged urine drug test

Ohio High School Implements Drug Testing

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on August 5th, 2011

Student athletes at the Elyria Catholic High School in Ohio will soon be subjected to a mandatory urine drug testing process. The school hasn’t had its share of drug problems yet, but authorities have taken this important step to maintain the population’s safety and health.

Head coach for the school’s football team Michael Polevacik declares the institution’s move as “a statement of how we’re going to conduct ourselves.” All athletes will be required for the testing and 20% of the rest of the students will be randomly screened throughout the year.

Principal Amy Butler says that they have not encountered any objections from the school community about the drug test program. “It’s been well received by student athletes and parents and the school community. And we think it’s a way of encouraging our students to make good decisions about staying healthy.”

There have been oppositions against drug testing of students in the past. In 1995, the US Supreme Court released a ruling that athletes may be tested from drugs, but should not be put under penalty as an individual if results come out positive. The Court defended its ruling by stating that taking urine samples for drug testing from school athletes is not an intrusion to one’s privacy as they usually share locker rooms and even shower together in which the point of privacy is nullified.

There are other schools in the Ohio District which have implemented drug testing procedures earlier. The Olentangy District had the program in the last ten years but unfortunately, the board decided to suspend it at present due to financial constraints.

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Drug Testing Implemented Despite the Summer Season

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on June 20th, 2011

If students at Garden Spot High School think they can get away with drugs or alcohol during the summer, they will surely be disappointed.

urine drug testThe Garden Spot High School has announced that they will be having random drug testing program as soon as extra-curricular activities in school begin this summer, according to a feature on Lancaster Online. District Superintendent Robert Hollister of the Eastern Lancaster County Schools has already put it into writing and is only waiting for the board’s approval.

The proposed random drug testing will be done on secondary level students involved in athletic programs and other activities that are under the school district. According to Hollister, the process will see the analysis of two urine samples from each student chosen randomly. If a first sample should test positive, the second sample will be used if parents of the student involved should choose to have it analyzed in an outside laboratory for further confirmation.

Board member Dr. Heidi Zimmerman expressed her concerns on students under medication that could test positive on the drug screening process. These students could easily be suspected of using illegal drugs, when in fact they might just be under, say for instance, Ritalin medication.

This is why students who are into such cases would have to secure a note from their doctors detailing the prescribed drugs that they are taking. If these students should ever test positive, then Worknet can contact the school for clarifications on drugs found in a student’s system.

The random drug testing will be able to detect dangerous and illegal drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, methadone, opiates, amphetamine, barbiturates, and many others. The board will have the final votes on the proposal on the 20th of June. The amount involved annually in the program will be from $5000 to $6000 as reported at Lancaster Online.

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Urine Drug Testing versus Hair Follicle Drug Testing

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on March 5th, 2010

Urine drug testing and hair drug testing are among the most popular methods of drug detection. Below is a short comparison of these 2 methods.

Urine Drug Tests

urine drug testUrine drugs testing is one of the simplest and least expensive methods of drug testing. It can be easily administered at home or at work, although it may be better to have the guidance and supervision of professionals and the use of proper lab equipment for more accurate results. Urine drug testing is able to detect drug and alcohol use within one or two weeks. Urine testing has a number of notable weaknesses and loopholes. Because it takes a while for the drugs to appear in the urine, it would take at most three hours for them to be detectable. Urine tests are also easily affected by simple adulteration methods.

Hair Drug Tests

hair drug testHair follicle drug testing has proven to be a better alternative to urine tests for a number of reasons. It is capable of detecting a longer history of drug or alcohol intake, up to about 3 to 6 months after intake. This method of drug testing is capable of determining the patterns of drug abuse. Its only drawback is that it is relatively more expensive than a regular urine test. Even with the relatively higher cost of hair follicle drug testing, it is clearly the more conclusive and better method of drug testing.

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