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Alcohol High School Testing in Schools, Should it Happen?

drugtest — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:52:32 +0000

When it comes to drug and alcohol high school testing , what is more important: Protecting constitutional rights or protecting students? The consensus from students is surprising. There are just as many students for random drug testing as against and in some schools, more students are for random testing than not. The same opinion varies among parents, counselors, coaches and teachers.

There is a big majority of some schools’ who believe there is a big alcohol and a drug problem affecting students. Recent high profile court decisions have determined that it is unconstitutional to randomly test students for drugs and alcohol. The schools that were randomly testing students were testing students who were involved in extracurricular activities- meaning these students had the choice to participate, unlike regular classes required by law. Private schools also fell into this category.

Because the school is private, different laws and regulations differ from public, government-run schools, so they were able to randomly test students. The schools who were randomly testing students all acted on “reasonable cause,” like obvious evidence of increased drug or alcohol use on campus. Now, with recent constitutional cases, schools who were about to begin random alcohol/drug testing have postponed their program until further decisions by state and federal courts.

How Are Students Tested Now?

Students were previously tested using two different methods; urine testing and mouth swab tests for saliva testing. Previously, using either urine or the swabbing tests would only measure very recent alcohol or drug use. Now with EtG alcohol and drug testing, ethyl glucuronide testing, a sample now is able to test several days of prior alcohol and drug use, where it wasn’t possible before. Both urine and swabbing testing are intrusive and cost money to perform. Under current alcohol high school testing rules, a student who tested positive would not face criminal charges, but face varying lengths of suspensions from sports or other extra curricular activities. The student would still attend classes but also be required to attend an approved treatment program.

New Testing Devices For Alcohol High School Testing

Hair alcohol testing is the latest and most accurate form of testing on the market today. With only an inch worth of scalp hair from a student, as much as 30 days of alcohol and drug use can be revealed using EtG testing. The instrument used for hair alcohol testing is called a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, it is a sensitive machine used for testing the smallest of particles in a sample. Besides schools, lawyers, social workers and employers are finding that this type of hair alcohol testing is a far superior way to test someone for recent as well as past alcohol and drug abuse. Plus, hair alcohol testing is by far the least intrusive way to test someone’s metabolites.

Until there is a consensus in the U.S. courts over the rights of students with regards to random alcohol and drug testing, parents, teachers and coaches can only encourage students to abstain with the threat of other consequences or perhaps it will be a peer issue to threaten each other, “continue to abuse and we are all tested via police force, not just by a concerned counselor.”

What’s the difference: Hair Drug Testing vs. Urinalysis

drugtest — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:31:42 +0000

There is a definite debate over the best way to drug test employees before they are hired, or the best way to keep students away from drugs. There are some major differences between hair drug testing and urine alcohol testing that can help employers, educators and the like make a decision regarding this very important issue.

Let’s face it. How fun is it when you know that you have to take the drug test for your new job and you arrive at the drug testing location, pee in a cup and go on your way. Now, how much better would it be if you just had to let a few hairs get plucked from your head? It is a much more non-invasive way to get test for alcohol and/or drugs. Plus, a hair drug test can confirm use up to 12 months whereas a urinalysis is only good if it is within 72 hours. Many people find their way around negative results when it comes to a regular urinalysis. Hair drug tests don’t allow you to lie because the evidence imbeds itself in your hair for a long time. I guess you could shave your head?

Another important factor to consider is whether or not regular testing will be done. If a company is going to do period testing a hair drug testing would be a better option. Regular testing with a urinalysis will have to be done much more frequently and it will become much more costly for the company as well. Plus, it won’t give you a complete picture of historical abuse like hair drug testing can. Established historical patterns of abuse can be detected when a hair drug test is done. This is simply not possible when a urinalysis is completed.

Finally, the risk of tampering is greatly increased when a urinalysis is done. You cannot tamper with your hair or the hair drug test. It is also possible for a hair drug test to be redone. However, due to the short window of opportunity needed for a urinalysis it is not possible to do a retest.

The process of testing for drugs and alcohol is an important decision for any company. The costs associated must be considered as should the method the test is performed. Some companies will decide not to test. However, this may or may not lead to a very different set of personnel hired. Hair drug testing can be much more useful for companies. The reason it works so well is that the hair growth is fed by the bloodstream and any ingestion of drug abuse is revealed with the small sample of hair that is analyzed.

So, what will companies choose in the future? Well, in this current economic climate they will probably stick with the standard urinalysis – oh, how we love that cup. However, hopefully they will consider the hair drug test as a viable option when it comes to drug testing. In order to crack down on people that are abusing drugs it will be essential that employers take a stand, especially if they find that they have employees that might be abusing the system. Setting high standards for their employees and providing a safe atmosphere is essential for any company – starting with an error proof drug screen may just be the thing companies need to get the standards started.

Parents: Learn How Your Children can Cheat Drug Tests

drugtest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:53:27 +0000

Kids today are like a faulty balance scale. You tip the scale in one direction, and it falls flat on that side. Drugs and alcohol are in school and universities and it’s important to know what tests kids can fake and what ones they can’t. We will be focusing on urine alcohol testingand hair alcohol testing

Alcohol testing in urine is easy to fake using common sense. Most drugs show up in the urine for one week past its consumption. What a lot of kids can do is drink a lot of water so it flushes out of their system faster if they know that a drug test is coming. Others are able to sneak in “uncontaminated” urine so that they will pass.

One way that urine alcohol testing has been able to do to combat that this is measure the temperature of the urine. If the urine is slower than normal body temperature when it’s received, it’s obvious that the urine was brought in from the outside. We are also able to relatively tell the age of a person by their urine. If someone got the urine from an older man, a doctor will be able to tell that it is not your kids.

Hair alcohol testing is much harder for kids to cheat on. One obvious way to cheat this test is to cut off all of your hair. By then, you know something’s up. Alcohol in their hair can be stored for up to a year, so it’s a much more reliable test of ones drinking or drug habits. There are kits and shampoo that you can by that will supposedly cleanse your hair of any drugs or alcohol that would show up on a hair alcohol test. Short of bleaching your hair, these have proven to be ineffective.

As a parent it is your responsibility to monitor what your child is doing. Most of us know first hand that getting mixed up in drugs and alcohol can only lead down a bad path. Becoming addicted to one of these is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. Addiction will lead to a point where depression will kick in so hard that they will no longer feel like living gives a purpose. If their life becomes meaningless, then there will be no reason to keep it going. Do what you can to prevent this, but know that free choice is absolute.

While displaying the importance of not getting caught in the web of addiction, be sure not to be harsh or cruel to your children. If you child does get caught with an illegal substance, you can’t threaten them violently or they will do it more to spite you. They will lose respect for you when violence is brought into the picture, and when you lose respect from the one’s that are supposed to be showing you the way, responsibility becomes meaningless.