Finally, some common sense

[acroyear]

A school system is finally starting to get the picture that "zero tolerance" and absolute punishments not reflecting the nature of a "crime" (that of kids possessing legitimate over-the-counter drugs like advil) are more detrimental to the community than the close-minded bastards first thought.
Story is here...

The war on drugs continues to reek havoc among innocent civilians, particularly our kids, when people equate psuedofed and advil with cocaine or even tylenol-#3 (codeine), and punish kids with expulsion for such a crime as wanting to get rid of menstral cramps without the public embarrasment of going to see the school nurse.

Comments

[gargoylez]

You know, my first thought when I read this story was, "when I was in high school I was a walking pharmacy; my little honor-student butt would've been expelled immediately!" I was a dancer, for chrissake, if I didn't carry anti-inflammatories my ankles would have looked like walruses by the end of the day. And all of my female friends knew to come to me if they had cramps. Nowadays I'd probably get in trouble for being a "dealer." It's one thing if a kid is somehow addicted to OTC drugs--get them some help, don't expel them--but give me a break, high school is supposed to, in part, prepare you for the adult world. Most of my adult friends carry some form of pain reliever.

Things changed so much after Columbine. I read stories like these, and I contemplate the fact that it really wasn't so long ago that I was in high school. We didn't have metal detectors. One kid in junior high got suspended for bringing a gun to school (it wasn't loaded, he was just trying to show off) and it was the hot topic of conversation for the remainder of the year b/c it was so out of the ordinary. Later that year, 2 kids spray-painted most of the school with insults of their least-favorite teachers. They were expelled. These were relatively good kids; they were just playing a prank out of frustration. I'm sure it never occurred to them to bring a gun to school and just do away with the teachers who irritated them, but somehow that's how kids think 10 years later.

*sigh* I've no idea what the solution is. I'm just glad I don't have kids.

[cozit.livejournal.com]

Amazing, isn't it? My school nurse would have had a fit had she had to deal with all the allergy meds and asprin type things that so many students needed regularly. She *really* would have had a fit with what I was told to take by my doc... which was an OTC at twice its recommended dosage at the time... every 4 hours (which obviously means not only during school, but at school afterwards the days I stayed for afterschool stuff).

They really need to write in exceptions to the rule for the most commonly needed things at least.

Heck, I've had to drive to my kids' school to give my son Tylenol a couple of times (I can give it to him at the nurse's office, she can't offer even that anymore)... at least I'm nearby... I pity the kids and parents who work an hour + away....