DOG SNIFFS OUT CAMPUS CONTRABAND

YUKON - Mike patrolled the Yukon High School campus Tuesday searching for drugs, alcohol and firearms.  Although the Labrador retriever targeted a car and a locker for suspicious odors, neither yielded any illegal substances.

But school officials say similar searches this school year have turned up considerable contraband.  Drug dogs have alerted officials to drugs and alcohol in cars and lockers.

During weekly visits to Yukon schools, Mike has found marijuana, alcohol, Xanax, Loritab and other prescription drugs.

Casey Worthen, the school district's student assistance program director, said 35 students have been suspended for drug possession since school began two months ago - 20 of them within one week.

Six students are under long-term suspension for distribution, school officials said.  They estimate about one-third of the students caught had prescription drugs; the rest were caught with alcohol or marijuana.

"I think teachers and administrators have become more vigilant," Worthen said.  "We don't want to be represented as a drug school."

District officials became more aware of a drug problem in the schools after the drug-related death of student Shawn Acklin, 15, in May.

Since his death, school officials have instituted random drug testing of students participating in extracurricular activities, increased searches by drug dogs, emphasized drug and alcohol awareness programs at every grade level and instituted an anonymous tip line for students to report drug-related activities.

District officials recently received results from a drug-use survey completed last April.  Students in sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th grades were surveyed about alcohol, marijuana and other drug use.  Results indicate that 22.7 percent of sixth-graders have tried alcohol.  That statistic increased to 73.7 percent among 12th-graders.

Experimentation with other drugs ranged from 14.9 percent for sixth-graders up to 46 percent for 12th-graders.

Worthen said school officials are concerned, but hope the new drug policies will curb some of the drug and alcohol use.

"Students are even turning in other kids who are using," she said.  "Kids are getting fed up with other kids bringing drugs to school."

Worthen said school officials expect drug-related suspensions to decrease now that students are "getting wise" to the new policies.

Intercept, the company that performs the drug-dog searches, also serves Mustang schools.  Mustang Superintendent Karl Springer said the company visits the district about once a week.  Since the beginning of the year, the dogs have not found any drug or alcohol-related contraband.

Springer said the dog also patrols school events like football games and the prom.

Other school districts in the metro area that use drug dogs to search for contraband include Putnam City and Edmond.