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EAST LIVERPOOL -- East Liverpool High School has received a funding award through the Bonnie Hoppel School Health Funding Board and Cash Coalition with backing from Akron Children's Hospital and Columbiana Mental Health Services Recovery Board to start a Drug Free Club at the school with students submitting to drug testing.
The Drug Free Club and drug testing is an opt-in program for students in the ninth through 12th grades. Parental consent will have to be granted for the students to participate in the club and testing.
According to the club facilitator, school nurse Marissa Dawson, the students who opt to participate ideally will get tested about five to six times a year.
According to Dawson, if a student were to test positive, the parents would be notified and parents and student would receive the appropriate resources, counseling or whatever they need.
Ryan Willis, director of curriculum and school improvement, said there would be zero punitive measures involved for a positive drug test. The school would talk to the parents of the student to make sure they are aware of any resources they would need to help combat a problem.
Dawson said the club would involve more than just drug testing; there would be monthly meetings and incentives offered. Some of the possible incentives being discussed include donut Friday, free entry into sport events, pizza parties, early Friday dismissal from school and gift card drawings. On test day the students would receive a goody bag possibly containing candy and school merchandise.
The club, according to Willis, which is still in the early stages of development, has garnered the interest of approximately 27 students.
Dawson and Willis are going to evaluate their incentive ideas after the winter break and hope to get the club rolling before the end of the school year so they can hold a big kick off at the start of the 2024-2025 school year and hopefully begin drug testing then.
One of the results both Dawson and Willis are hoping for is that while Dawson is the facilitator, the students will take over as leaders and tell them what they want as students and discuss different opportunities they see.
Willis noted that one of the things he wants to do is speak to local businesses to start engaging them while getting their insights and hopefully bring them on board. They may be able to offer a 10% discount or something to students who show their drug-free club card.
"Engaging them (local businesses) and getting their input as well, because I think it's really important that the kids hear directly from those business people who can say I have a job waiting for you if you can pass the drug test," Willis said. "I think that is a big motivation factor for a lot of our students as well."
Willis also said students can take their drug free club card to job interviews and say that they are in the Drug Free Club and already take drug tests and it will help with their resume and make them look better because they can show they have already been subject to drug testing.
While the club does not exclude the athletes who are already subject to drug testing, it is being aimed at the students who don't currently have that option.
Willis said they have received a lot of positive feedback from the athletes and their parents on the drug testing, and he loves that they are giving the students and excuse to avoid using drugs.
"I think one of the biggest things is if the students are out with their friends and somebody offers them something they can say 'I can't, I get drug tested,'" Willis said. "I think a lot of times students say yes because of that peer pressure and they fail to see a good excuse or maybe an excuse their friends will accept. If they say 'I can't, I get drug tested' it sort of shuts that argument down and gives them a reason not to while giving that excuse to get out at the same time."
Dawson and Willis said they were requested not to reveal the amount of funding they received from the organization providing the funding but would like to thank the organization for the funding along with those backing them.
Kgarabrandt@mojonews.com