Drug-sniffing dogs part of nationwide trend
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
Two private schools, Saint Louis and Academy of the Pacific, have decided to use drug-sniffing dogs beginning this year to combat substance abuse and ensure there are no illegal drugs on their campuses. Saint Louis will start soon, and AOP expects to begin in the next school year.
Increases in crystal methamphetamine use statewide have played a role in these decisions even though the 2002 Hawai'i Student Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use Study done by the Department of Health showed that drinking, smoking and methamphetamine use continued to decline. But use of the illegal club drug Ecstasy has risen.
The Hawai'i Department of Education has no policy regarding this issue for public schools in Hawai'i. If individual public school principals want to conduct searches at their schools, they would need approval from the department and then from the Attorney General's office, said a DOE specialist.
Here are some questions and answers to help parents and students understand the issues surrounding the use off drug-sniffing dogs.
• How does the program work?
Saint Louis plans random, unannounced searches of classrooms, lockers and vehicles in the parking lot, while AOP expects to check cars, lockers and backpacks about twice a month looking for illegal drugs, alcohol, guns, ammunition and over-the-counter medicines.
• Why are schools doing this?
The latest Hawai'i Student Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Use Study showed that among Hawai'i high school seniors smoking is down 21 percent since 1996, and drinking is down 12 percent since 1987. The survey also showed methamphetamine use down by more than half since 1989. However, 10.6 percent of seniors said they have used Ecstasy at least once, compared to 5.3 percent in 1998. State Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said the state continues to have "great concern" about the number of adolescents using substances and needing treatment.
• Is this part of a national trend?
School districts across the country have used drug-sniffing dogs for a number of years. While it's still unusual, more and more school districts are considering this option.
• What happens if drugs or other contraband are found?
At Academy of the Pacific, students will be expelled if drugs are found in their possession, said Dorothy Douthit, who heads the school. However, if a student with a substance-abuse problem approaches a school official for help, the student will be referred to counseling, she said. Administrators found one student with marijuana a year ago, and that student was expelled, Douthit said.
At Saint Louis, students will not be expelled, but will be referred for professional counseling, said Rebecca Fernandes, marketing and public relations director.
• Does this type of search infringe on student rights?
On the Mainland the situation has engendered lawsuits and focused attention on interpretation of the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure.
Susan Dorsey, interim legal director for the ACLU in Hawai'i, said the organization considers such searches in a public school setting unconstitutional and a violation of students' rights to be free from random, suspicionless, warrantless searches and seizures. They are permissible in a private school setting, but are still ill-advised, Dorsey said.
Still, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that schools can drug test entire teams of student athletes, even if individual team members are not suspected of using drugs. It has also ruled that other competitive, nonathletic extracurricular activities can be tested for drugs.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.
