Schools and Colleges

Drug testing a student or child is a major decision. Testing should not be contemplated without having first decided the consequences of a positive or negative result. Remember that a screening test of any brand, is just a screening test and should be confirmed by professionals at a laboratory. A GP might be willing to assist but confirm that they are suitably qualified to take a chain of custody sample and that any laboratory used is certified for employee drug screening.

DrugWipe is used around the globe for police screening of drug drivers through to the detection of smugglers and dealers. In the UK, DrugWipe has been used since 1999 in large corporations for health and safety screening and in a good number of private schools as part of a drugs education policy. In all cases, testing is done as per policy and all positives are laboratory confirmed unless consumption is admitted in writing at the point of the test.
 
DrugWipe can be used on the person by performing a very simple, quick and importantly, non-intrusive sampling procedure. However, there is a choice of a wipe on the skin to look for consumption over several days, or a 5 second swab in the mouth to show consumption in the past few hours.

DrugWipe can screen for the presence of invisible traces of drugs by testing items such as mobile phone, computer keyboard, dust from pockets or the inside of suspicious containers. This does not prove guilt but a positive to this general screening can be taken a precursor to screening a particular child.

Testing a child in the wrong way can cause many problems and issues, but testing a child and finding positives leads to professional advice, support and education to the benefit of the child, the parents and the school or college.

Feedback from educational DrugWipe users is that the presence of a policy and the ability to quickly screen is a significant deterrent. The rapid result from a skin or saliva wipe, brings a very quick “levelling of the playing field” as both parties know the result. This allows the establishment to enter the student into a programme of anti drug education. This has numerous benefits for the student as they get a second chance and to stay in the establishment with uninterrupted studies and friends. Parents do not have to find another school for the child, and after the initial shock, are happy that the school is protecting and educating the child. Teachers are happy as they get to work with the student in a beneficial way, and finally, no disruption to fees for the bursar.

If a student is caught dealing drugs, the opinion of many customers has been to report the incident to the police and permanently exclude the pupil.

A school, college, or university must consider Health and Safety so should read the Company section with regards to students and staff on the premises.