I don't know if it is appropriate or not for me to post someones obituary on a blog but for my line of work I felt that it was something I couldn't go without sharing. Drugs can effect anyone. You can be at any age, any gender, any race, or any class to become a victim of overdosing and abuse. I do not know this kid but I can read that his parents had a purpose for his obituary. It was a message to everyone that no matter who you are, if you get mixed with the wrong crowd or make the wrong choices, you too can be victim of drug abuse and overdose. Patrick's parents did all they could for him but in the end, he wasn't strong enough to fight the addiction. Drugs are real and people are struggling. If you know someone who might benefit from this, please send it to them.
Erin Hunt
Obituary
OBITUARY SUBMITTED BY:
Ruebel Funeral Home
Patrick Andrew Clemmons
Little Rock, AR
1990 - 2011
Published: January 8, 2011
Patrick Andrew Clemmons, age 20, of Little Rock, was found dead on the morning of January 6, 2011 at the apartment of a young man in downtown Little Rock. He was the victim of a likely heroin overdose. Somewhere between school and scouts, graphic arts and swimming, wrestling and the local music scene, Patrick picked up a bad habit that ultimately killed him. His drug problem has impacted our last three Christmas seasons, and this morning has cost us our beloved son. Patrick was born December 20, 1990 and had just turned 20 in rehab. We have been well pleased with his recent progress, but we knew he was at risk. He returned home Dec. 28, and after 77 days "clean", joined us for New Years Day with several of our friends. He had been putting in job applications and looking for a place to live. When he heard they were hiring at Victoria's Secret, he quit looking anywhere else. We last spoke to him yesterday afternoon. He declined to visit his counselor with his Mom but confirmed an appointment for today. Patrick attended Episcopal Collegiate School where he was a 2008 State Wrestling Champion in the 130 pound small school division, and had been the only member of the swim team. Swimming conditioned him to wrestle better than football conditioned his opponents. Patrick was a Commended National Merit Scholar. But he did not graduate as scheduled in 2009. Nevertheless, on the strength of his ACT scores, he received a sizable Dean's scholarship to UALR, but dropped out last fall when his difficulties with life began to worsen. Patrick earned his Eagle Scout at Troop 30 in 2004, which has been a big part of our lives since 1997. He had been a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow and attended NOAC in 2004, had been to the National Jamboree in 2005, had been to Philmont in 2006. He had been successful as a young artist and won several awards, and spent a summer program at California College of the Arts in 2007. In 2008, he completed a 30 day program of winter-style backpacking at 10,000 feet in the Absoraka Wilderness with NOLS. 30 days in the snow with the same boots on. It is hard to imagine how a young person finds drugs despite all the time and effort we invest to protect them from drugs and push them back in the right direction. But Patrick began to experiment with marijuana, and soon moved to LSD, opiates, benzodiazepine, and the rest. We began to note changes in his behavior in 2007, but he worked especially hard to help himself during 2008, and 2009. He always had a job and stayed highly active during this time. However, 2010 had been particularly challenging for him and for us. He was a tower of will, but weak to temptation. He was bright and witty, but not smart enough sometimes. He was fearless and friendly, but too careless for comfort. He was thoughtful, when he thought things through, but often impulsive. He was like most of us, only different. He will always be our Eagle Scout wrestling champion, and will serve as an example of how the same life which offers us so much can sometimes touch us in a vulnerable spot. We pray God smiles on him today and wraps his arms around us, too.
Patrick is predeceased by his grandfathers, Earl H. Clemmons Jr., and E. Ray Day, and Uncle John T. Haskins. Patrick is survived by his parents, Skip Clemmons, Susan Day and brother, Colin Clemmons. In addition, his Grandmothers, Bennye Clemmons of Little Rock, Ellen Day of Greensboro, N.C., Uncles Russell Day (Nancy Alex), Patrick Day (Jane) and Cousin Jolie Day all of Carrboro, N.C.. Cousin Olivia Day, of Denver, Colo., Aunt Evelyn Day of Chattanooga, Tenn., Uncle Neil Clemmons (Chris) and cousins, Alex and Shannon Clemmons of Wilmette, Ill.; Aunt Rose Gladner (Neal) of Little Rock; Aunt Jane Clemmons of SanFrancisco, Calif.; Aunt Heidi Haskins; cousins, Kelli and Blaine Buck of Malvern, Ark., Meaghan Gladner of New Orleans, La., Janet Gladner of Fayetteville, Ark. and a host of other relatives.
Visitation will be held at Ruebel Funeral Home on Sunday, January 9, 2011 from 5 to 7 p.m., with a Rosary service to be held immediately following at 7 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Monday, January 10th at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Holy Souls Catholic Church with Father Erik Pohlmeier officiating. In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to Boy Scouts of America Troop 30, c/o St Paul Methodist Church, 2223 Durwood Rd., LR, Episcopal Collegiate School Foundation, 1701 Cantrell Road, LR, 72201, or Centers for Youth and Families, 5905 Forest Place, Suite 200, Little Rock, Ark. 72207. Cremation arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Friday, November 19, 2010
Celebrating 5 Years!
As many of my colleagues know I love doing what I do. I was very lucky 5 years to receive an offer to work in this industry. What started out as a simple assistant job has now expanded into a trusted opinion and educator in the industry. I've now decided to continue my education with receiving my degree in Sociology at the University of Arkansas so that I can continue to learn more about the people we drug test, the companies we represent, and the legal situations we are involved in. My long term goal is to work with strengthening the rules and regulations of drug testing in the state of Arkansas as well as working with schools on education and awareness. I'm very lucky to be at First Choice because it gives me the flexibility to learn, teach, and work. I've worked with some amazing people through my journey in drug testing who are still mentors to me today. Not only have most of our competitors worked with me but they too are mentors and very well respected by me. I appreciate everyone that has gotten me this far (good or bad) and hope that my future stays bright within this industry. Looking forward to many more years to come!
Erin Hunt
First Choice Welcomes Dr. Jim Bryan
First Choice would like to welcome our newest team member! Dr. Jim Bryan comes to us with much accreditation and experience. Dr. Bryan is the Little Rock areas only certified 1st class FAA Flight Physical doctor. He has chosen First Choice as his home to continue service with his current patients as well as new patients. We are extremely excited to have him! At this time Dr. Bryan is only scheduling physicals on Wednesday evenings after 5 pm. As soon as his schedule expands we will post it on our website. To schedule a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd class flight physical please contact First Choice at 501-661-9992.
New DOT Regulations For Drug Testing
We've been so busy the last 2 months getting things ready for the new DOT regulations that I haven't posted a thing. What I thought would be a simple switch ended up changing a lot of things! Not only did we welcome the new substances MDMA (ecstasy) and 6 MAM (heroin)but we are now adjusting to the lowered the amphetamine levels as well. DOT is now also requiring the laboratories to report and keep track of each entity. So a DOT drug test can no longer just be a DOT test. It has to be marked as FMCSA, USCG, PHMSA, FAA, or FTA. This is not a huge step but it is something we must be conscience of. First Choice is constantly receiving updates from DOT and DATIA to remind of us of any changes that need to be made. Looking forward to a great year in 2011!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Is Pre-Employment Alcohol Testing a Bad Idea?
One blogger seems to think so. Read below the article I found:
Why Pre-employment alcohol testing is such a bad idea:
The use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace and by the work force is costing American corporations billions of dollars in lost productivity, accidents, and excess health care costs. Many organizations are now using pre-employment tests in an attempt to minimize their exposure to substance abuse. This trend is especially evident in the transportation industry, where federal regulations require that individuals who hold or apply for "safety sensitive" positions complete pre-employment breath alcohol tests.(1)
Although eliminating alcohol and other drugs of abuse from the workplace is a worthy goal, pre-employment alcohol testing will do little to advance it. To understand why pre-employment alcohol testing is unlikely to work, it is necessary to consider what these tests actually measure, the failure rates for these tests, and how the costs of such tests stack up against the probable benefits.
ALCOHOL TESTING METHODS
Alcohol testing technologies can be broken down into two general categories. A number of bioassay methods use breath, urine, blood, saliva, or hair samples to provide evidence for the presence or absence of alcohol in the bloodstream. An alternative is to use behavioral assessments to detect and diagnose drug or alcohol-related impairment.
Breath alcohol analysis is the method of choice in a number of settings, such as law enforcement and the transportation industry. Current generation breath-alcohol analyzers generally have excellent accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and selectivity or specificity for ethanol in breath samples. Studies have demonstrated significant relationships between breath alcohol and impairment of driving skills, hand steadiness, eye movements, and subjective feelings of intoxication. Urine testing (using gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry) is considered one of the most reliable and valid methods of testing for drugs and alcohol in urine, yielding accuracy levels of 99.7 percent when conducted in labs by qualified personnel. However, several reviews--Sonnestuhl et al. (1987), Loomis (1990), and Normand, Lempert, and O'Brien (1994)-suggest that urinalysis results do not indicate the quantity of alcohol consumed, when it was consumed, or whether the subject is a chronic abuser of the drug.
Rather than inferring blood alcohol concentration on the basis of breath or urine samples, it might be preferable to directly measure the level of alcohol in a person's bloodstream. Analysis of blood samples for drugs or their metabolytes involves relatively invasive collection methods, requires trained personnel to perform the collection, and requires more sophisticated analysis techniques than urine testing. However, because of the strong relationship between blood alcohol levels and the effects of alcohol on the nervous system, most experts regard blood tests for alcohol as the forensic benchmark against which other methods should be validated.
Saliva has also been shown to be an appropriate specimen for determining the presence of alcohol. This method typically involves collecting samples on strips or swabs that turn various colors when exposed to alcohol. However, cutoff levels that would provide reliable measurement of either the presence of alcohol or alcohol-related impairment using saliva samples have not yet been established.
Another biologically based testing technology involves analyses of hair samples. Trace amounts of drug molecules that have circulated through the blood stream will be found in the follicle of the hair in amounts that are roughly proportional to those ingested. Further, such drug traces will remain in the hair as it grows and are not likely to diminish over time. Unlike detection in urine or blood, detection of drug or alcohol use in hair analysis cannot be avoided by abstention for days prior to the test or by attempts at adulteration.
Unlike bioassay methods, behavioral techniques are intended to assess level of impairment rather than mere exposure. The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DEC) is the most commonly used behavioral assessment. It is designed to determine whether an individual is impaired, the likely cause of the impairment (drags, medical condition, and so forth), and, if impairment is drug-related, the likely category or combination of drugs involved.
The DEC examination typically includes a breath-alcohol test, eye examination for horizontal and vertical nystagmus (involuntary twitching) as well as convergence (or lack thereof), divided attention psychological tests, vital sign examination, pupillary size and responsiveness evaluation, evaluation of muscle tone, and examination for injection sites. DEC may have potential application in the work context in "reasonable cause" situations as a way to identify performance decrements and to confirm whether the identified problems are caused by drug or alcohol use on the job.
A variety of computer-based behavioral tests have also been developed to evaluate impairment due to drug or alcohol use. Such tests generally assess an individual's ability to detect or discriminate different stimuli, motor ability, psychomotor skill, learning, memory, and decision making. Behavioral assessment techniques are most effective when the subject is highly impaired and have limited effectiveness when used to identify low-dose impairment.
To Read more visit http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_n5_v38/ai_17565145/
Why Pre-employment alcohol testing is such a bad idea:
The use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace and by the work force is costing American corporations billions of dollars in lost productivity, accidents, and excess health care costs. Many organizations are now using pre-employment tests in an attempt to minimize their exposure to substance abuse. This trend is especially evident in the transportation industry, where federal regulations require that individuals who hold or apply for "safety sensitive" positions complete pre-employment breath alcohol tests.(1)
Although eliminating alcohol and other drugs of abuse from the workplace is a worthy goal, pre-employment alcohol testing will do little to advance it. To understand why pre-employment alcohol testing is unlikely to work, it is necessary to consider what these tests actually measure, the failure rates for these tests, and how the costs of such tests stack up against the probable benefits.
ALCOHOL TESTING METHODS
Alcohol testing technologies can be broken down into two general categories. A number of bioassay methods use breath, urine, blood, saliva, or hair samples to provide evidence for the presence or absence of alcohol in the bloodstream. An alternative is to use behavioral assessments to detect and diagnose drug or alcohol-related impairment.
Breath alcohol analysis is the method of choice in a number of settings, such as law enforcement and the transportation industry. Current generation breath-alcohol analyzers generally have excellent accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and selectivity or specificity for ethanol in breath samples. Studies have demonstrated significant relationships between breath alcohol and impairment of driving skills, hand steadiness, eye movements, and subjective feelings of intoxication. Urine testing (using gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry) is considered one of the most reliable and valid methods of testing for drugs and alcohol in urine, yielding accuracy levels of 99.7 percent when conducted in labs by qualified personnel. However, several reviews--Sonnestuhl et al. (1987), Loomis (1990), and Normand, Lempert, and O'Brien (1994)-suggest that urinalysis results do not indicate the quantity of alcohol consumed, when it was consumed, or whether the subject is a chronic abuser of the drug.
Rather than inferring blood alcohol concentration on the basis of breath or urine samples, it might be preferable to directly measure the level of alcohol in a person's bloodstream. Analysis of blood samples for drugs or their metabolytes involves relatively invasive collection methods, requires trained personnel to perform the collection, and requires more sophisticated analysis techniques than urine testing. However, because of the strong relationship between blood alcohol levels and the effects of alcohol on the nervous system, most experts regard blood tests for alcohol as the forensic benchmark against which other methods should be validated.
Saliva has also been shown to be an appropriate specimen for determining the presence of alcohol. This method typically involves collecting samples on strips or swabs that turn various colors when exposed to alcohol. However, cutoff levels that would provide reliable measurement of either the presence of alcohol or alcohol-related impairment using saliva samples have not yet been established.
Another biologically based testing technology involves analyses of hair samples. Trace amounts of drug molecules that have circulated through the blood stream will be found in the follicle of the hair in amounts that are roughly proportional to those ingested. Further, such drug traces will remain in the hair as it grows and are not likely to diminish over time. Unlike detection in urine or blood, detection of drug or alcohol use in hair analysis cannot be avoided by abstention for days prior to the test or by attempts at adulteration.
Unlike bioassay methods, behavioral techniques are intended to assess level of impairment rather than mere exposure. The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DEC) is the most commonly used behavioral assessment. It is designed to determine whether an individual is impaired, the likely cause of the impairment (drags, medical condition, and so forth), and, if impairment is drug-related, the likely category or combination of drugs involved.
The DEC examination typically includes a breath-alcohol test, eye examination for horizontal and vertical nystagmus (involuntary twitching) as well as convergence (or lack thereof), divided attention psychological tests, vital sign examination, pupillary size and responsiveness evaluation, evaluation of muscle tone, and examination for injection sites. DEC may have potential application in the work context in "reasonable cause" situations as a way to identify performance decrements and to confirm whether the identified problems are caused by drug or alcohol use on the job.
A variety of computer-based behavioral tests have also been developed to evaluate impairment due to drug or alcohol use. Such tests generally assess an individual's ability to detect or discriminate different stimuli, motor ability, psychomotor skill, learning, memory, and decision making. Behavioral assessment techniques are most effective when the subject is highly impaired and have limited effectiveness when used to identify low-dose impairment.
To Read more visit http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_n5_v38/ai_17565145/
Thursday, July 8, 2010
We are on a roll!
Things are looking up! I've been in contact with one Senator who believes we are on the right track! We are close to getting heads to turn on this drug epidemic in our schools! I found a website that gives statistics on teens and prescription drugs that I believe every parent should read.
1. Nearly one in five (19 percent or 4.5 million) teens has tried prescription medication to get high
2. Every day, 2500 kids age 12 to 17 try a painkiller for the first time
3. The vast majority of teens abusing prescription drugs are getting them from the medicine cabinets of friends, family, and acquaintances
4. It has been shown that most teens and young adults who use prescription opiates begin their use by experimenting with pills found in medicine cabinets at home
5. Because these drugs are so readily available, and many teens believe they are a safe way to get high, teens who wouldn't otherwise touch illicit drugs might abuse prescription drugs- and not many parents are talking to them about it
6. Drug treatment admissions for prescription painkillers increased more than 300 percent from 1995 to 2005
7. Opioid analgesic ER visits increased 117% over the last decade, and the death rate surpassed that of heroin and cocaine. This behavior cuts across geographic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries
8. Prescription drug abuse has exceeded use of illicit narcotics in parts of Europe, Africa, and South Asia
9. 2.3 million kids age 12 to 17 abused prescription drugs in 2003
10. Teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit street drug except marijuana
11. Prescription drugs are the drugs of choice for 12 and 13 year olds
12. 1 in 5 teens say they have taken a prescription drug without having a prescription for it themselves
13. 60% of teens who have abused prescription painkillers did so before age 15
14. There are as many new abusers age 12 to 17 of prescription drugs as there are of marijuana
15. Two in five teens (40 percent or 9.4 million) agree that Rx medicines, even if they are not prescribed by a doctor, are “much safer” to use than illegal drugs
16. Nearly one-third of teens (31 percent or 7.3 million) believe there’s “nothing wrong” with using Rx medicines without a prescription “once in a while"
17. Nearly three out of 10 teens (29 percent or 6.8 million) believe prescription pain relievers – even if not prescribed by a doctor – are not addictive
(www.medsafeglobal.com)
Those are enough statistics to convince anyone that something has to be done fast!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Letter to our AR Senators Asking For Their Support
Hello Senator,
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I will start by introducing myself. My name is Erin Hunt. I’ve been working in the drug testing industry for almost 5 years. I am 27 years old and working towards my bachelors to become an expert in the industry. At this time I’m only an advocate but personally I think I’m an expert (don’t we all). Drug testing right now, as you know, is federally mandated for federal workers under the Department of Transportation. There is an Arkansas Drug Free Workplace Program in effect that employers can pick up and use to help with their cost for Workers Comp insurance and it mimics the DOT rules and regulations. This program is fantastic and all companies that use it, love it! We are now coming face to face with another growing issue: drug use and abuse with students in schools.
On April 11 and April 29, in two separate counties, with two separate families, two 11 year old boys died from overdosing on Methadone. Methadone is a narcotic pain reliever, similar to morphine. It also reduces withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to heroin or other narcotic drugs without causing the "high" associated with the drug addiction. Taking methadone improperly will increase your risk of serious side effects or death. Even if you have used other narcotic medications, you may still have serious side effects from methadone. The April 11th case is still under investigation. The April 29th case hit very close to home because he was my friend’s youngest son. She’s not getting many answers at this time but what she does know is her son received the drugs at school by another student who was 13 years old. When she was asked where she got the drugs she told police she stole them from her Grandmother’s purse. Typically Methadone is given in a clinic setting and not in a prescription form. There are special Methadone clinics that specialize in prescribing and administering this drug. The Grandmother is being investigated as well.
Everyone involved in this story would have benefited from drug awareness and education:
1. The Grandmother needed the education and awareness of what drugs she had and was using, the effects of them, and how their children could be gaining access to them and the ultimate consequences.
2. The 13 year old would have known or at least been aware of how dangerous taking other peoples prescriptions as well as the illegal aspects of it and the dangers that arise from giving it to other students.
3. The parents of the 11 year old boy would have known how to talk to their son about the dangers of drugs and prescription drugs and what to do if another student gives him something that he may not know what it is.
4. The 11 year old would have known to say no and would be alive today.
Here is what I’m finding out from students, parents, and teachers:
-Students are choosing prescription drugs more than meth, marijuana, and cocaine.
-Students are getting most of these prescription drugs in the home.
-In some cases, kids as young as 11 are using prescription drugs and smoking cigarettes.
-If you ask a student what they think drugs are they will say everything but prescription drugs. (Typically because a doctor prescribes it, therefore it seems harmless.)
-Most prescription drugs are no bigger than a vitamin. Most cannot tell the difference.
-Prescription drugs are not detectable by a drug dog. Although very effective for other drugs, prescription drugs are harder to catch.
-Some schools are testing student athletes but not the student body. There are some schools that search students and their backpacks with metal detectors but feel drug testing is too invasive.
-Some private schools are testing the entire student body and catch at least 1-2 students each year abusing drugs including prescription medication.
Possible solution to this problem:
State Mandated Testing and Awareness: for all schools from the 4th grade to 12th grade.
There are 2 possible ways to do a drug testing program: instant testing (which is what the Arkansas DHS is using for probation and in home testing) or lab based testing
What you will need: A Medical Review Officer for positive drug tests, a confirmation laboratory to confirm positive drug tests(Baptist Hospital owns Medical Laboratories of Arkansas and it is a HHS recognized laboratory), and specimen collectors (school nurses or outside party to handle the collections)
A school drug testing policy: stipulations for the drug test including bad behavior, reasonable suspicion, or other. Consequences for finding drugs in their system including a follow up program and meeting with a Substance Abuse Professional ( which I have).
Drug awareness programs: The D.A.R.E. program is a great way to spread awareness as well as at PTA meetings and once a year refresher courses for teachers to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse.
I am in the process of receiving letters from several private school principals in the Little Rock area who are drug testing their students, the benefits of the program, and if they would recommend it. I am emailing several Senators because this is a statewide issue. This is something I have been working on for the last 2 years and hope to help the state of Arkansas come to a resolution in its fight with drug use and abuse in our schools. If we don’t do something soon, this could be more out of control than it already is.
Because I work for a drug testing company I have many resources that could benefit this program including connections with a Medical Review Officer, Instant Testing Devices, Substance Abuse Professional, Signs and Symptoms training for teachers and parents, and guest speak at PTA’s and Schools. I can also help to set up the laboratory for confirmation testing and train all collectors that will need to be trained. I would be glad to talk to you about getting this started or even advice on where to begin. This can be a very simple process and cost can be really low too. If I can get the green light from someone I can start getting the pricing as well as more information and programs set up.
I hope to hear from you soon and thank you for representing this great state of Arkansas! You hard work does not go unnoticed.
Sincerely,
Erin Hunt
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I will start by introducing myself. My name is Erin Hunt. I’ve been working in the drug testing industry for almost 5 years. I am 27 years old and working towards my bachelors to become an expert in the industry. At this time I’m only an advocate but personally I think I’m an expert (don’t we all). Drug testing right now, as you know, is federally mandated for federal workers under the Department of Transportation. There is an Arkansas Drug Free Workplace Program in effect that employers can pick up and use to help with their cost for Workers Comp insurance and it mimics the DOT rules and regulations. This program is fantastic and all companies that use it, love it! We are now coming face to face with another growing issue: drug use and abuse with students in schools.
On April 11 and April 29, in two separate counties, with two separate families, two 11 year old boys died from overdosing on Methadone. Methadone is a narcotic pain reliever, similar to morphine. It also reduces withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to heroin or other narcotic drugs without causing the "high" associated with the drug addiction. Taking methadone improperly will increase your risk of serious side effects or death. Even if you have used other narcotic medications, you may still have serious side effects from methadone. The April 11th case is still under investigation. The April 29th case hit very close to home because he was my friend’s youngest son. She’s not getting many answers at this time but what she does know is her son received the drugs at school by another student who was 13 years old. When she was asked where she got the drugs she told police she stole them from her Grandmother’s purse. Typically Methadone is given in a clinic setting and not in a prescription form. There are special Methadone clinics that specialize in prescribing and administering this drug. The Grandmother is being investigated as well.
Everyone involved in this story would have benefited from drug awareness and education:
1. The Grandmother needed the education and awareness of what drugs she had and was using, the effects of them, and how their children could be gaining access to them and the ultimate consequences.
2. The 13 year old would have known or at least been aware of how dangerous taking other peoples prescriptions as well as the illegal aspects of it and the dangers that arise from giving it to other students.
3. The parents of the 11 year old boy would have known how to talk to their son about the dangers of drugs and prescription drugs and what to do if another student gives him something that he may not know what it is.
4. The 11 year old would have known to say no and would be alive today.
Here is what I’m finding out from students, parents, and teachers:
-Students are choosing prescription drugs more than meth, marijuana, and cocaine.
-Students are getting most of these prescription drugs in the home.
-In some cases, kids as young as 11 are using prescription drugs and smoking cigarettes.
-If you ask a student what they think drugs are they will say everything but prescription drugs. (Typically because a doctor prescribes it, therefore it seems harmless.)
-Most prescription drugs are no bigger than a vitamin. Most cannot tell the difference.
-Prescription drugs are not detectable by a drug dog. Although very effective for other drugs, prescription drugs are harder to catch.
-Some schools are testing student athletes but not the student body. There are some schools that search students and their backpacks with metal detectors but feel drug testing is too invasive.
-Some private schools are testing the entire student body and catch at least 1-2 students each year abusing drugs including prescription medication.
Possible solution to this problem:
State Mandated Testing and Awareness: for all schools from the 4th grade to 12th grade.
There are 2 possible ways to do a drug testing program: instant testing (which is what the Arkansas DHS is using for probation and in home testing) or lab based testing
What you will need: A Medical Review Officer for positive drug tests, a confirmation laboratory to confirm positive drug tests(Baptist Hospital owns Medical Laboratories of Arkansas and it is a HHS recognized laboratory), and specimen collectors (school nurses or outside party to handle the collections)
A school drug testing policy: stipulations for the drug test including bad behavior, reasonable suspicion, or other. Consequences for finding drugs in their system including a follow up program and meeting with a Substance Abuse Professional ( which I have).
Drug awareness programs: The D.A.R.E. program is a great way to spread awareness as well as at PTA meetings and once a year refresher courses for teachers to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse.
I am in the process of receiving letters from several private school principals in the Little Rock area who are drug testing their students, the benefits of the program, and if they would recommend it. I am emailing several Senators because this is a statewide issue. This is something I have been working on for the last 2 years and hope to help the state of Arkansas come to a resolution in its fight with drug use and abuse in our schools. If we don’t do something soon, this could be more out of control than it already is.
Because I work for a drug testing company I have many resources that could benefit this program including connections with a Medical Review Officer, Instant Testing Devices, Substance Abuse Professional, Signs and Symptoms training for teachers and parents, and guest speak at PTA’s and Schools. I can also help to set up the laboratory for confirmation testing and train all collectors that will need to be trained. I would be glad to talk to you about getting this started or even advice on where to begin. This can be a very simple process and cost can be really low too. If I can get the green light from someone I can start getting the pricing as well as more information and programs set up.
I hope to hear from you soon and thank you for representing this great state of Arkansas! You hard work does not go unnoticed.
Sincerely,
Erin Hunt
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