School Drug Testing Guidelines.

The Carthage R-9 School board held their monthly meeting last Tuesday evening. The board reviewed and passed the Carthage R-9 School District Student Activities Drug Testing Guidelines.

According to the guidelines the intent of having the policy is to, through random drug testing, enhance the safety, health and well being of the students of the Carthage R-9 School District.

Statistics indicate that Carthage R-9 students continue to abuse drugs at significant levels. In a recent Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities survey of freshmen and seniors, 25% reported they had used marijuana, 8% have used crack or cocaine, and 12% have used LSD, PCP, mushrooms or speed. It is the belief of the R-9 School District staff that the policy will assist the districts efforts to reduce the use of illegal drugs.

Activities which students participate in that require a signed consent form for testing include all Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) activities, such as band, athletics, and cheerleading; competitive activities, such as student council, odyssey of the mind, and FBLA; and non competitive activities such as chess club, the A+ program and honor societies.

Participants will be assigned a number for identification. The drug testing company will randomly selected thirty students every one to fourteen days to provide a urine sample.

If a positive test results is determined the participant will immediately become ineligible to participate in school activities. The parents or guardians of the student will be contacted and disciplinary action will be taken. For a first offence the student will be suspended from activities for 8 weeks, upon completion of counseling, evaluations and follow up drug testing the suspension may be reduced to 4 weeks. If a second offence occurs a student will be suspended from activities for a full year and for third offences the student will be permanently suspended from all activities outlined in the guidelines.

I’m still wonderin’ what happened to the May pole. I have never found out ‘xactly what the symbolism of the May pole was, I’m guessin’ some type of "ever’one workin’ together" theme.

For those who have never seen a May pole, it consists of first a pole, hence the name. Then ya hang different colored ribbon cloth down from the top. Ever’one involved grabs the end of the ribbon and starts walkin’ round the pole in a circle, weavin’ in and out of each other like square dancers.

The end result is a pole wrapped in multicolored ribbon.

Like I said I don’t know what it means, but the activity is supposed ta happen on May first as I recollect. Mostly I’m guessin’ it’s just fun stuff ta do, but I’m still interested in who started this thing.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune- Brooks Hospital

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Medicines Only One Cause of Swelling

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My neighbor had swollen legs, ankles and feet. They looked like they were ready to burst. I read that Vioxx could cause this. She was taking it. She told her doctor, who stopped the medicine. Her swelling went down in three days. What do you think of that? — N.J.

ANSWER: I think your neighbor has a good friend — you.

The name of your neighbor’s condition is peripheral edema. Medicines are only one cause of it. However, when a person is on a medicine, the first place to look for such swelling is that medicine. Many widely used drugs are implicated. Anti-inflammatory drugs are a good example. Nearly everyone has taken one or other of these drugs, whose names include Lodine, Voltaren, Motrin, Ibuprofen, Indocin, Advil, Naproxen, Daypro, Celebrex, Vioxx and Bextra.

Beta blockers are another drug class that can also trigger peripheral edema. The same holds true for calcium channel blockers, whose main function is treatment of blood pressure and heart trouble. Also high on the list of peripheral edema causes are cortisone drugs and estrogen, the female hormone.

If you see your medicine listed, don’t have a meltdown. These medicines are used by millions. Peripheral edema happens only to a few. And when a drug is responsible for it, treatment consists in stopping the drug.