Lovett School issued the following announcement on Mar. 30.
At the beginning of the year, all upper school students are drug tested. After this universal drug testing period in August or September, any student in the high school is subject to random drug testing up to two times.
Recently, the OnLion sent out a survey to find out what students thought about the random and universal drug testing policy and its effectiveness.
When it comes to universal testing, 56.6% showed approval for the policy because not only does it “hold a standard for students,” but it also “benefits the school as a whole.” The other 44.4% expressed disapproval for a number of reasons, including the belief that “If students know there will be a drug test they will just plan around the date.”
When I asked students how they felt about random drug testing the answers were a bit different. 47.2% of students believe random drug testing should continue because it “discourages constant use” and it’s a “good way to see who tries drugs, especially returning from breaks.”
But the remaining 52.8% of students tend to see things a little differently. Some students expressed that it was “annoying” primarily due to hair loss or “stressful” because not all students do drugs. Although the free will of students to learn and experiment is encouraged, drug experimentation of any kind at an early age is a concern for admin. Studies show that the earlier adolescents experiment with drugs, the more likely they are to have negative experiences with drugs in adulthood. From a student point of view, it may appear that the administration is trying to control students lives but after speaking with Mr. Boswell, the intentions of administration are focused on health rather than discipline.
I spoke with Upper School Head Mr. Boswell about the history of the policy and its implementation over the years. In November of 2015, when Lovett announced that they would begin random drug testing students, there was a concern that it would create a distrustful community. But according to Mr. Boswell, since the program was launched, many parents have been thankful to have learned things about their child that they wouldn’t have known without drug testing.
According to copious research that Lovett has done, the “earlier a student uses drugs and alcohol, the more likely they are to have adverse outcomes later in life.” In order to deter habitual drug use, Lovett finds that the most effective way is through drug tests.
And 41.9% of upper school students do seem to agree that random drug testing is a pretty effective way of deterring habitual drug use. Still, while 36.4% of the Lovett high school agrees that drug tests are pretty effective, 45.6% of the Lovett high school community believe drug tests are not very effective as sometimes may continue to engage in occasional drug use despite having drug tests.
Lovett drug tests are proactive for this reason because Mr. Boswell and the admin understand that not every student is perfect. If a student tests positive for a drug test, there is a clear line of action to deal with this in a health and wellness category rather than a punitive one.
When a student tests positive, only 3 people on campus are aware: Ms. Cole, Mr. Boswell, and Ms. Friedman, Director of K-12 Counseling. Next, the outside company that handles testing will reach out to the family of the student to let them know that the school will reach out soon.
Following this notification, Mr. Boswell will set up a meeting with the student, parents, counselor, and Ms. Cole. During this meeting, Lovett will ask the family to get a drug and alcohol evaluation. In addition to this evaluation, the student must wait 100 days when the drugs are cleared out of their system before they take another drug test. The family will also be asked to speak with an outside counselor, who will communicate with one of Lovett’s counselors, to figure out if the drug use was addictive or experimental. This will help the student and family talk about ways to prevent drug use along with ways to cope with what may have caused drug use. After the 100 day period is over, the student will be tested again. If this same student does receive another positive test, Lovett will ask that the student withdraw for medical reasons and not behavioral.
Mr. Boswell notes that there are “far more single positives.” This simply means that if a student does test positive, the effectiveness of the rehabilitative process deters the student from habitual drug use, and prevents another positive test. Lovett’s rehabilitative process is so successful, primarily because there is a balance between private and Lovett support. There are times when Lovett is completely hands-on and then there are times when Lovett helps advise families on the steps to recovery in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the student.
But while the drug testing is primarily proactive and meant to help, there are choices students can make that will result in more severe disciplinary consequences. “For a student who brings alcohol and drugs to campus or school events, that is a behavioral and discipline issue and could result in immediate removal from school,” Mr. Boswell said. If drugs or alcohol is brought to school, any school-related event, or circulates around social media with Lovett connections, it can result in a more harsh consequence because it can cause danger to the community as a whole.
Whether the matter is behavioral or related to health and wellness, it is not lost on Lovett that not everyone agrees with the policy and that some think Lovett could do more to prevent drug use. Due to this, Mr. Boswell said they were considering adding optional drug tests, but it would be separate from the regular drug program. For example, Mr. Boswell said a parent could ask for their child to be tested for alcohol and nicotine. Lovett uses Psychemedics five-drug panel and randomly includes testing for other amphetamines, fentanyl, and synthetics.
Currently, while Lovett does have the power to test for various other drugs, such as nicotine, it doesn’t because it isn’t illegal to possess.
As for alcohol, Mr Boswell explained how when drug testing was first proposed at Lovett, some thought “the idea of testing for alcohol seemed like a bridge too far.” Alcohol is deemed more socially acceptable and a “rite of passage” in adolescents but students that are under the influence on school property endanger themselves and the school community which is why it is not acceptable at school.
Another legal and socially accepted drug is caffeine, which is sold here in drink from, but Lovett strives to make the distinction between drugs like caffeine and “other drugs'' in order to bring attention to other substances that are not as hardcore as a substance like heroin or cocaine.
Lovett has continued the drug testing policy to keep the community safe. And for those that are skeptical about the random nature of the random testing, Mr. Boswell said that the outside company that Lovett partners with is in charge of randomly pulling ID numbers. A common misconception is that athletes are drug tested more than others. At Lovett, after a student is selected twice for random drug testing, they will not be tested again even if the private company pulls their ID number. On the other hand, students that have received positive tests before are subject to more frequent drug tests.
As Lovett continues to find ways to prioritize mental health and safety, drug tests will likely remain, which will annoy some students.
But others are supportive, like the student who wrote about having gone to public school before Lovett and noticing “such a big difference because of the drug tests.” This student seemed to feel like drug testing is effective in protecting the community and deterring habitual drug use.
Some students agree and some don’t, but we must agree that safety is a priority. And whether students believe that drug use (occasional or habitual) is problematic or not, the policy seems to give everyone a good excuse not to give in to peer pressure, or use drugs as a coping mechanism for dealing with the pressures of school and life. Of course, that means the school and families will need to help students find other ways to maintain balance in their lives.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Lovett School
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