Drug testing for Sullivan County athletes suspended

[cvcgrad]

The drug testing of athletes in Sullivan County schools has stopped while education officials wait to see if the state legislature takes action that would allow it.

The Sullivan County Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to suspend its policy requiring athletes to submit to random drug tests. The decision comes one month after Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper issued an opinion that the policy ? implemented by many school systems across the state ? may violate state code.

"My expectation is that the legislature will amend [that part of the code],"? board attorney Pat Hull said. "If the legislature would just change the statue that would remove the problem."?
Cooper argued that Tennessee law allows student drug testing only if there are "reasonable indications to the principal that such student may have used or be under the influence of drugs"? in his opinion.

Hull said the opinion leaves school systems with three options: suspend their current drug testing policy; require student athletes to sign waivers allowing random drug tests; or continue the policy and hope they do not receive any complaints.
In Bristol Tennessee, school officials took the same route.
"Ever since the attorney general said it was illegal, we stopped doing it,"? said Todd Bailey, public relations director for the Bristol Tennessee schools.

But Johnson City school officials are sticking to their guns. The city's Board of Education voted 4-3 Monday night to continue requiring athletes to submit to random drug tests.
Kingsport Schools Community Relations Coordinator Amy Greear said her system does not require drug tests for athletes.

[imported_MoonlightGraham]

reasons this will never work...

this is discrimination. why are just athletes being drug tested? why not drug test the band, the academic team? the "regular" students?

plus for this to be effective, the athlete (or his/her parents if the kid is under 18) must sign a release form within 6 weeks before any test can be given, due to privacy reasons.

For this to happen this there would also be a tax increase or they would cut back on some sort of funding. These drug test cost about $200 for just the basic mouth swab.

[imported_Counts]

Reasons this Will work.

All that needs to happen is that extracurricular activity requires a drug test release to be signed.


And the $200 for a test is way off (Dickenson Co already does drug testing as do several other areas in the state) while I HAVE NO CLUE who does the lab work or how much the school system is paying I did find on-line tests for as little as $6 The link is below

Link

[imported_MoonlightGraham]

The $200 one I was referring to test for everything...
All of these test just test for thc. Or so the website says?

I think thas a joke...what about testing for steriods? meth? blow, pain pills? There are ALOT worse stuff out there for high school kids to experiment w/besides this stuff. I am not advocating the use of it by any means. But if you want to drug test don't do it half assed. A drug test should be used to protect someone who might harm themselves or others. So if your gonna test kids test them for something that might kill them.

These test I'm pretty sure only pick up, up to 3 days before you take em.

I was actually given some literature on drug testing from the strength and conditioning coach out at UVa Wise a few years back I'll see if I can find it.

[imported_Counts]

Website says the test tests for the following

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Marijuana Methamphetamine Methadone Cocaine Ecstasy Oxycodone Opiates Benzodiazepines PCP Amphetamine Barbiturates
</div></div>

Sure not everything under the sun but a good chunk plus not with the $200 price tag which most places as you pointed out could not afford

Again no clue what Dickenson Co uses but it is probably closer to the $6 test rather than the $200 test

[neutral88]

Well since we are talkin about Sullivan County here...I did play sports in Kingsport City, which I would imagine could afford better drug tests than Sullivan County, and all they did with us was had us Pee, then give it to them and they stuck a stick in it, that turned a certain color if you were "hot"...but they let like 10 of us at a time go in the bathroom, so we all just let some nerd Pee... [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

On the other hand, they can't do away with drug tests over here around Kingsport completely, cause even if it is a crappy test it keeps the kids scared...cause trust me, the kids will juice in the big schools if they think they can get away with it

[imported_MoonlightGraham]

all i saw on the website was the testing for thc...if it test for all of that, then it sounds like a pretty good test for only $6.

[cvcgrad]

I worked for an employer who implemented random drug testing, and we were sent to Occumed for a urine test when our name was chosen. I've seen the same type of urine test used by local agencies where people have applied for assistance with certain programs. The tests were very accurate.

I agree that if athletes are to be tested that anyone participating in any extracurricular activity should be tested, and that should also extend to coaches, staff, and even volunteers.

[imported_Counts]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I agree that if athletes are to be tested that anyone participating in any extracurricular activity should be tested, and that should also extend to coaches, staff, and even volunteers. </div></div>

I agree 100% I know DC is for all extracurricular activity but IMHO coaches, staff (volunteer or paid) should also be subject to tests.......I also believe that all teachers should be subject to testing as well (Look no further than Battle for prof that this should already be done)

[neutral88]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cvcgrad</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I agree that if athletes are to be tested that anyone participating in any extracurricular activity should be tested, and that should also extend to coaches, staff, and even volunteers. </div></div>

I like the way you think