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Show Proposed drug, alcohol survey turned down by school board The Uintah School Board liked the intent in-tent of a drug and alcohol survey but turned down a request to conduct the survey in Vernal schools because of the concern of principals and seeing no purpose pur-pose for the survey. Uintah Basin Standard editor, Mark Ibach, requested two weeks ago that he be allowed to conduct a drug and alcohol attitude survey at Uintah High School and Vernal Junior High School. The survey asks students if alcohol or drug use has increased in their school, if it is the "in" thing to do and asks them to describe their use of either drugs or alcohol. Ibach conducted the survey in the Duchesne district schools. Last week, Marlin Johnson, district staff, told the school board he objected to the survey because it asked a student to report the drug attitude of other students in the school. Also, the structure of the questions implies that drug and alcohol use is centered in the schools. Vice principal Jan Nelson, Uintah High School told the board that the report he is receiving from students is that most drinking and drug use occurs on the weekends in the homes of students, and not in the schools. "We are struggling to build the best possible image at our school," Nelson said. "Something like this wouldn't help." A narcotics dog went through Uintah High School Wednesday last week, and according to Nelson, the dog found no drugs at the school. At Vernal Junior High. Dr. John Childs said he didn't have any concrete evidence of the amount of drug and alcohol being used by the students at the junior high, but he said there needed to be better education on the subject. "We can't hide our heads in the sand and hope the problems will go away." Dr. Childs said. The survey was criticized on the state level by Robert K. Leake, specialist health, physical education and recreation. Leake said that parties and groups who promote such surveys should recognize the often used "Great American Cop-Out." Cop-Out." "That is identify a health or social problem primarily created by the profit motive of adults and modeled by adults, and when kids then begin to get involved, involv-ed, blame the kids for the problem and charge the schools with the problems of correction," Leake said. The school board agreed with the in tent of the survey, but disagreed with the method used. "The intent is good." said Verlin Vincent, Vin-cent, school board member, "but it doesn't serve a purpose." Board president Gary Taylor said that the district may conduct their own survey in the future, which would be available to the media. But no action was taken by the board to direct their staff to conduct a survey. |