High-school students across Fairfax County are using drugs, over-the-counter drugs, for headaches, colds and allergies, aches and pains, and cramps. However, if a student gets caught using any of these nonprescription drugs on school grounds, that student faces disciplinary action. If that students gives a friend a Tylenol, the student faces suspension.
Under the Fairfax County Public Schools' regulation, over-the-counter medicines are prohibited unless administered through the clinic with written parental permission.
"I've got to tell you, and now that my daughter is no longer in school here, she always had Tylenol in her purse," said School Board member Tessie Wilson (Braddock).
During a discussion on revisions to the Student Responsibilities and Rights handbook Monday, the School Board split as to whether to allow high-school students to carry over-the-counter medication. Eventually a sort of compromise was reached when Christian Braunlich (Lee) suggested a simple word change, which allows school administrators decide if the violation warrants penalty. However, the penalty for distributing or sharing a nonprescription drug remains the same — suspension.
The revised handbook — other changes were mostly clearer language or bringing the book up-to-date with state code — must come back before the board for a formal vote, currently scheduled for May 22.
IT WAS the student representative to the School Board who first recommended changing the regulation, suggesting only the "abusing, distributing or sharing of nonprescription drugs" be considered a violation.
"Under the current procedure, going through the clinic is still a difficult process," said Matthew Wansley, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. "I do believe students have legitimate reasons to take over-the-counter medications like headaches or, so I've been told, menstrual cramps. If we have a policy that is not enforced, why do we have it? Many students do not hesitate to bring over-the-counter drugs to school."
The regulation was originally put in place to prevent the abuse of over-the-counter medications, and also to eliminate a possible way to smuggle in illegal drugs by hiding the drugs in the nonprescription containers.
Wansley, however, was not alone in calling for the revision. Wilson suggested the change could be grade specific much like the school system's policy on cell phones.
"I think it is long overdue. I know many high-school students carry things that we consider illegal like cough drops that don't have time for the clinic and the clinic doesn't have time for them," said Kaye Kory (Mason).
ON THE OTHER SIDE of the debate, some board members expressed concerns over liability, the possibility of abuse and allergic reactions to the medications.
"We're responsible for these kids. If there isn't a parent authorization and something happens, or if we have a parent come back and say, 'I didn't know my child was taking this' what is our liability?" said Jane Strauss (Dranesville).
"I'd like to point out it is not illegal for any of these kids to buy these medications," Wilson said. "So I don't see a liability issue."
Wansley also questioned the liability argument, saying: "I think several of the arguments people used to oppose this could easily be applied to the bag lunches students bring from home and the schools aren't regulating that and can't be liable for that. Students could bring in food that causes an allergic reaction and the school system wouldn't be held liable. Students could bring in drugs in their Yoo-hoo bottle and we're not regulating that. It's easy to think of 'what if' situations."
Others suggested changing the regulation allows for the possibility that students could abuse over-the-counter medications or be too immature to take them properly.
"I'm concerned that there are some kids that are carrying medications because they think they should be," said Catherine Belter (Springfield). "And I do know a young man who [overdosed] on Tylenol."