Spokane-area students happy to be tested

Some 1,600 Spokane-area students at 20 high schools and middle schools don’t object to drug testing. In fact, they volunteer to be tested randomly throughout the school year.

In return, they receive an ID card good for discounts at participating fast food joints and other places.

They’re all members of the Washington Drug-Free Youth Program, an outreach organization of the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council.

Joining the organization “makes life a lot simpler and it gives you a reason to remain drug free,” said 17-year-old Alicia Fox, a junior at North Central High School. She joined the movement her freshman year.

While governments grapple with ways to curb drug use among young people and parents are finding ways to take matters in their own hands, Fox and many of her peers think it is best that they retain the freedom to choose whether to be tested.

“I don’t think it should be mandatory because I think it’s all right to have that privacy and I don’t think it’s the school’s priority,” Fox said.

Spokane Public Schools administrators feel the same way. They believe drug testing should be between teens and their parents, unless there’s reason to believe there’s a problem, said Terren Roloff, the district’s director of community relations.

Kyle Riley, a junior at North Central High School, joined the drug-free youth group in ninth grade.

“Drugs are the main problem that lead to most of the other things. When you’re under the influence, you don’t make the right choices most of the time,” he said.

“I wanted to teach younger kids not to get into drugs, alcohol and stuff like that,” he added.

Kendra Juarez, a youth prevention specialist with WDFY, said students like these are helping transform peers’ behaviors.

“They’ve really gone a long way to change the norm that everyone was drinking and using drugs,” Juarez said.

And keeping clean “looks good on their resumes for jobs and colleges,” said Chuck Filippini, a North Central High School teacher and advisor to the 100-member Students Against Destructive Decisions group, which participates in the drug screening program.

But don’t assume these kids are holier-than-thou types.

“These are cream of the crop kids. They’re moving up the ladder and they use our program to stay clean and do the right things. That’s what’s really cool about this thing,” said Filippini

Here’s how it works: At the start of the school year, all interested students agree to undergo drug tests. Their parents must first sign off on the agreement.

Then, tests are randomly administered four more times during the year to 10 percent of program participants.

If students test positive for alcohol or drugs, they and their parents hear the news from a school advisor or counselor. School administrators and law enforcement officials are kept out of the loop.

A 30-day probation period begins, after which students may be re-tested.

“We’ve had kids who stumbled and made poor choices and we’re there to pick them up and give them a second chance,” said Filippini.

“We don’t throw kids away. We fix them,” he said.

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