Drug tests yield six positives

By Staff
School officials say number of positive results below predictions
Leada DeVaney, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle City School's first round of drug testing netted six positive results, a number lower than what experts had warned the school board to expect.
Dr. Lee Hartsell released the results of the drug tests on Monday. The results were available last week, but Hartsell said he would not release then to the media before they were presented to the school board. Alabama law requires all such documents to be made available to the press and the public.
The result show that of 941 students tested, six tested positive. The majority of those positive tests came from nicotine or tobacco use.
Board members said they were told positive results – especially for schools testing for nicotine use – could be as high as 13 percent.
The lower numbers were a positive sign, according to board member Jeff Gray.
"Even one positive test is too many, but these are promising numbers," he said. "There are well below some of the other systems."
The tests were conducted on all Hartselle system students involved in extra curricular activities. Students were tested for alcohol, narcotics and tobacco.
Random tests will be conducted in the future. Hartsell said those results will be give to the board on a monthly basis.
The most recent tests were done in three stages:
Both of the positive results were for nicotine.