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Mon 12 Mar, 2018 11:46 am
I get an email from my daughter's school informing us they are going to "interview" each 9th grader as part of a mandatory substance abuse screening.
Here are the questions:
PART A: DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS, ON HOW MANY DAYS DID YOU...
Drink more than a few sips of beer, wine, or any drink containing alcohol?
Use any marijuana (for example, pot, weed, or hash) or “synthetic
marijuana” (for example “K2” or “Spice”)?
Take a prescription medication or pill that was NOT prescribed to you
or MORE than was prescribed to you (for example, prescription pain
pills or ADHD medications)?
Use anything else to get high? (for example, other illegal drugs,
over-the-counter medications, and things that you sniff or “huff”)?
If the child ends up answering 0 days for all of the above - they give them a piece of paper with info about preventing drug and alcohol abuse.
Anyone parents can opt their child out - I figured no big deal, but what a waste of time. I find it highly unlikely that any child will be answering yes - or provide anything more than a day or something like that.
I didn't even tell my daughter about it ahead of time - when I picked her up along with the car pool she told me how dumb this was - she said she knows when girl would should have said yes every day for pretty much any question and she told everyone she said no days.
So another wasted state mandated "program".
@Linkat,
Sounds a bit intrusive to me. Not to mention self incriminating. Maybe they knew what they were doing when they added the fifth amendment to the bill of rights.
Unless it is done with full anonymity, it strikes me as fully wrong. As roger said, intrusive.
If the state is so concerned, they should be having narcotics and alcohol counselors in every school, where the kids can go if they want.
Well they tell the kids they are not going to get into trouble - there is no discipline due to this interview - it is supposed to be to see if someone is at risk and get the help.
On the surface it sounds like something they are trying to help kids that might be starting to use - but quite honestly what 14 or 15 year old is going to come clean even if they honestly thought they wouldn't get into any trouble?
They were interviewed by counselors outside of the high school but most were within the school district. My daughter said it was dumb, but it got her out of algebra so she was good with it.
@Linkat,
Linkat wrote:
Well they tell the kids they are not going to get into trouble - there is no discipline due to this interview - it is supposed to be to see if someone is at risk and get the help.
Well, there you go. They don't get in trouble - they get help.
And, ten years down the road, they need a security clearance, and who really knows what goes into that?
Maybe next time they will ask them the same questions, but about their parents or friends. That's how these things get started.
@McGentrix,
Or just get their neighbors to snitch on them.
@roger,
but do you really think kids are going to say anything - that was what I was getting at. These seems to be a "feel" fuzzy good feeling - with no results.
Check off that they did something to help kids stop substance abuse.
@Linkat,
Okay, send them off to school to learn how to lie.
Well, they probably already knew how to do that, but what's the advantage to giving them more practice.
@Linkat,
I am wondering if this is research based.
If there is data showing that this type of outreach is effective at getting resources for students who need it, then I would support it.
@maxdancona,
at the very least it gave me an opportunity to discuss with all the girls in my car pool .. as my daughter mentioned to me about this and how dumb it was and that she knew this one girl who proudly stated to the other kids how she answered no days for any use while still proudly stating how she lied.
I then agreed that I thought it unlikely that any teenager would answer truthfully they had. They started talking about things along the lines like how they said 70% never had tried to drink or smoke or do drugs and how they all thought that % was higher and what they thought of it.
It got them talking and thinking about it and why it wouldn't be a good idea to get involved it.
Just having them talk and be open about it I think will help.
@Linkat,
If these screening programs are successful... they are likely helping a certain group of at risk kids. Your daughter might not find these programs helpful, but that doesn't mean they aren't helping other kids.
My question is whether there is a group of kids that are at risk of serious drug problems who can be helped by providing resources as a result of these screening programs. If this is is the case, I support these programs.
I would like to see the data.
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