Student Strip Search Goes Before Supreme Court

[Crazy_Ivan80]

In my day, we used to bring in whatever we wanted. Hell, in my junior year, I was popping enough aspirin to fight off the headaches the school(I am still convinced the building was trying to kill me) was giving me.

Where the lights there by any chance of the long tube type? I think they're called halogenelamps, or is it neon? Soit, they make a buzzing sound and can appear to be flickering.

[grumbler]

I would assume they keep their inhalers on them, but the drugs the inhalers use are powerful and can give you a hit, so given the fuss about ibuprofen maybe not.

In our school, inhalers are generally required to be left in lockers, except during sports.  If a student needs to use their inhaler, they have pemission to leave class and do so.  Exceptions can be made, of course, for cases in which the student has a special need.

The possibilities for exceptions are true, of course, for any such prescription drugs, but the general rule is that the parent sends the drugs to school, where the nurse dispenses them as needed.  This may seem nanny-statish to people who have not thought out the problem, but once someone thinks about it, and the possibility that the prescriptions could be stolen from a student and the student would not then have the drugs when they need them, the nanny-statish-thinkers will realize they are going over the top.

The rules in a school need to be simple, due to the nature of the people who must follow them (these are children, not adults).  I entirely disagree with the decision that the school officials made in this particular case (following rules to the letter violates their spirit, as others have noted) but the general rule about controlling student access to prescription drugs is a wise and sound policy, is easy to implement, and can be easily understood by the students.

[syk]

How entirely moronic. The kids stealing prescription meds from other pupils severely need one over the head, not the sick one. Rules need to be simple, my ass.

[Ed Anger]

In my day, we used to bring in whatever we wanted. Hell, in my junior year, I was popping enough aspirin to fight off the headaches the school(I am still convinced the building was trying to kill me) was giving me.

Where the lights there by any chance of the long tube type? I think they're called halogenelamps, or is it neon? Soit, they make a buzzing sound and can appear to be flickering.

Yeah. Also, in the design of my HS, there was an inner ring of classrooms with no windows. So the air got nasty, especially when somebody popped a fart.

[Neil]

Parents can't have it both ways.  They can't hold the schools entirely responsible for the kids during school hours, and then leave the schools powerless when it comes to drugs.  As for the 19-year old girl with the waterworks, get over it.

[Strix]

Honestly, the danger is that a lot of high school age (and younger) kids engage in what are called 'Pharm' parties. They grab prescription medications from their parents and relatives than mix and match eating them like a bunch of skittles to see what happens.

You're an idiot.

That isn't so meaningful coming from a waste case such as yourself. Get a job and a life than get back to me on that.

[Sheilbh]

This sounds, to me, like something the Daily Mail would describe as POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD! and I'd be inclined to agree.

You and the Daily Mail have a weird definition of political correctness.

The Daily Mail views things like 'baa-baa rainbow sheep', EU regulations on anything, 'elf and safety laws' and anything indicative of a nanny state as POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD!  Of course with this story that would be the line they'd take, if a kid went to hospital because of a 'pharm party' (never heard of anything like that) then the line would be something about a school failing children and why we're all doomed.

Interesting.  So, in Britain, kids can bring any prescritption drugs in any amounts they want to school?  They won't have any prescription with them, of course, just the label on the bottle.

I don't remember ever having to show the prescription or anything to the school staff.  Though I think that probably is in the rules, yeah.

I've done a quick search of this in the UK and can't find anything about it, though there are numerous stories about the concerns outlined here in the US.  I think that kids in the UK are too busy trying to get booze and finding the pubs that'll serve older-under-agers that they don't care about this sort of stuff.  Plus the kids who are interested in drugs, in my experience, don't care or even really know about most prescribed ones.  They're far more difficult to get than the illegal ones.

[jimmy olsen]

Plus the kids who are interested in drugs, in my experience, don't care or even really know about most prescribed ones.  They're far more difficult to get than the illegal ones.

How can that be? Prescription drugs are present in every house at one time or another.

[Iormlund]

I think that kids in the UK Europe are too busy trying to get booze and finding the pubs that'll serve older-under-agers that they don't care about this sort of stuff.  Plus the kids who are interested in drugs, in my experience, don't care or even really know about most prescribed ones.  They're far more difficult to get than the illegal ones.

This.

[Sheilbh]

The only story I've found is that the UK is trending like the US in terms of prescription drugs.  But the Home Office Minister describes prescription drug abuse as being pretty small with there being only 'anecdotal evidence' of a large black market.  School policy here seems to be that you're responsible for your own drugs (by high school) but if you're taking prescribed drugs without a prescription then it's like taking illegal drugs.

But the UK's considering using more drug testing in schools.

The other difference from the article that struck me was that we don't have school nurses or school security. 

[jimmy olsen]

The only story I've found is that the UK is trending like the US in terms of prescription drugs.  But the Home Office Minister describes prescription drug abuse as being pretty small with there being only 'anecdotal evidence' of a large black market.  School policy here seems to be that you're responsible for your own drugs (by high school) but if you're taking prescribed drugs without a prescription then it's like taking illegal drugs.

But the UK's considering using more drug testing in schools.

The other difference from the article that struck me was that we don't have school nurses or school security.

Who decides if a kid's really sick and has to go home or if they're faking it? What if a kid gets hurt or falls ill and requires first aid?

[Sheilbh]

How can that be? Prescription drugs are present in every house at one time or another.

Yeah, but it's mostly antibiotics and stuff like that.  Who wants to take pennicillin when you know someone who can get you some pot?

Plus in the UK at least we don't get prescribed a lot and if it's long-term then you need to go for a check-up every now and then (I think quaterly) to make sure it's working.  So you generally don't get prescribed for more than a month in advance, or, for short-term conditions for more than say fortnight.  You need to get repeat prescriptions.

I know my house never had many prescribed stuff (except for my dad's asthma) because if any of us got antibiotics my mother would make sure we finished the course because that's why we had it that long, to make sure whatever we had was really killed off

[Sheilbh]

Who decides if a kids really sick and has to go home or if they're faking it? What if a kid gets hurt or falls ill and requires first aid?

All teachers are first aiders and some percentage have to be trained to a very high level.

Generally the teachers and the secretary decide if you go home or if you're faking it.  Luckily I was always friendly with the secretary (her and my personal tutor used to bin bad reports about me before they got to the headmaster ).

[DisturbedPervert]

How can that be? Prescription drugs are present in every house at one time or another.

Not ones that can get you high.  Dad's pills for the clap aren't much use when you can ask any stoner in school for an 1/8th.

[Iormlund]

Plus the kids who are interested in drugs, in my experience, don't care or even really know about most prescribed ones.  They're far more difficult to get than the illegal ones.

How can that be? Prescription drugs are present in every house at one time or another.

When it comes to taking stuff from home, my guess is most kids would rather take a bottle of whiskey rather than a box of any random medicine.
As for illegal drugs, they are very easy to obtain, especially weed and designer shit.