Drugs in Schools – Zero Tolerance
The traditional role of schools has been to provide a secure and structured environment, at which children attend to receive an education, and socialize with peer groups. Many schools today have become a place where children are unruly, lack self discipline and test limits. Sick leave for many teachers today takes the form of extended stress leave, due to classroom issues and pressures.
Since the 1960′s, drugs have increasingly infiltrated and invade all aspects of our lives. Schools are no exception. Drugs have been in and around the school yard for many years, increasingly a problem. A response by many schools to the perception of a “drug problem” has been to set zero tolerance, and extreme sanctions for possession of and using drugs in school.
When zero tolerance policies are introduced anywhere it is usually indicative of a widespread problem. Ideally, in any case of transgression of a rule or law, a case by case evaluation, on it’s individual merits is best. Imposing sanctions appropriate to the offence is the best way of achieving a balance between punishment and rehabilitation effects.
Most schools would have a clear cut policy that if illicit street drugs are involved, law enforcement agencies must be called in, otherwise the school becomes complicit in the offence. However, recent years have seen an upsurge in prescription drug abuse, with pharmaceutical products widely abused by illicit users. An increasing number of illicit prescription drug abusers are children.
It would be naive of school principals to accept from any student, found in possession of prescription medication, the excuse that it is only for their own personal and prescribed use. Yet, perhaps it exceeds a principal’s duty of care, and his time constraints to assume responsibility for supervision of all drug use in the school. Creating a zero tolerance policy towards drug use in schools makes enforcement easier, provides a clear cut rule.
If schools adopt a zero tolerance rule, then there will always be critical bystanders, and academics who will seize upon a unique incident in which the zero tolerance policy creates a result that is procedurally unfair, and use it to discredit the rule. Obviously, once exceptions to zero tolerance are introduced, it defeats the whole intent by opening a potential floodgate for argument and “grey” areas.
Such are the hazards, dangers and risks of drug use, both prescription and illicit that any school should have the freedom in law to make its premises “drug free” and less violent, for the safety, health and benefit of the children and teachers who attend at the school.
However, many feel that when schools expel and restrict access to drug abusing children they are merely re-locating the problem. Expulsion increases the risk of alienation and social exclusion for the child, without addressing or attempting to remedy the issue of causation.
With over 7 million Americans over the age of 12, admitting in 2009 to habitual prescription drug abuse, the notion of school as providing sanctuary from drug use and dealing is perhaps unrealistic. The US National Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 2009 reports prescription drug abuse by one in five high school students, 15% of year 9’s and 26% of year 12 students, with girls and boys using at similar levels.
Teens and families concerned about prescription drug abuse and dependence can get help from comprehensive drug counseling programs *** that enable families to overcome prescription drug addiction and reclaim their lives.
2 Responses to “Drugs in Schools – Zero Tolerance”
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There are some interesting time limits in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity however I’ll take maintain opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want extra! Added to FeedBurner as well
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