Bucks County School of Beauty Culture, Inc.

Controlled Substance Policy

I. PREFACE: This policy and its associated guidelines are an effort by the Bucks County School of Beauty Culture, Inc. to respond effectively to the potential and current "abuse" of alcohol and drugs by members of its school population. Information on counseling, rehabilitation and student/employee assistance is available by request, through the administrator responsible. The Bucks County School of Beauty Culture does not offer drug or alcohol rehabilitation at the school’s facility.

II. STATEMENT OF POLICY: The BCSBC will work through curriculum and classroom activities, administrative and faculty effort, and disciplinary procedures to prevent and intervene in the abuse of drug substances by members of the school population. This school and its individual employees shall be committed to the enforcement of all existing laws; regulations and guidelines as adopted by federal, state, local authorities. Furthermore, the prime concern of this school and its representatives shall be the welfare of the students and school-related personnel. It must be understood that this policy demonstrates the commitment of the school’s administration.

III. MEDICATION: Prescribed drugs and over the counter medications should be registered in the office as a precautionary measure for the school and the student. Physician prescribed drugs and medicines brought to school must be used according to the physician's written directions. Only approved medication, not to exceed one day’s use, brought to school by the student should be kept in a secure place designated by the building administration.

IV. TERMS: Alcohol, narcotic drugs and mood-altering chemicals shall include any of the following: alcohol or malt beverages, controlled substances, illegal and abused substances, medications not approved or registered with the office, and substances which are intended to alter mood. Examples of the above are marijuana, crack, cocaine, hash, chemical solvents, glue, capsules and pills not registered by the office and any look-alike chemical. School Property shall include buildings, facilities and grounds on the school campus, school parking areas, and any facility being used for a school function, or school sponsored trips, and the buses used for transportation on school sponsored trips.

V. SCHOOL GUIDELINES: These guidelines are intended to provide a consistent means for responding to alcohol and drug related situations that may occur on school property. They have been written with due consideration for the legal rights and responsibilities of the administrators, faculty and students who may find themselves involved in such situations and are hereafter referred to as persons.   The guidelines are divided according to situations that may occur at school or at school sponsored events.

VI. SITUATIONS AND RESPONSES:

Any situation where in a person demonstrates symptoms of possible drug/alcohol abuse (ex. Grogginess, staggering, slurred speech, dazed appearance, incoherence, inability to respond, blood shot eyes, dilated pupils, vomiting, or recognizable drug or alcohol related odor).

A. Emergency Action - All standard health and first aid procedures will be followed, an administrator shall be

summoned immediately, and if the person must be taken to a medical facility, an ambulance will be summoned to provide safe transportation.

B. Disciplanary Actions - Suspected drug abuse or the 1st offense shall be made part of the administrative file; 2nd offense or suspected 2nd offense will become part of the person’s permanent record file and if the person is a minor the parents/guardian will be notified (where applicable); 3rd offense result in immediate termination. Reinstatement will not be considered unless the person is able to demonstrate they have sought counseling and/or treatment from a licensed drug and alcohol treatment provider.

C. Notification of Parent/Guardian - Attempts will be made to contact the parent/Guardian immediately when minors are involved, the situation described and a conference arranged. The administration or designee shall maintain a record of contacts. FERPA regulations allow the school to contact parents/guardians with concerns about a student’s health, safety, or welfare.

D. Confrontation/Consultation/Counseling - If alcohol/drug abuse is identified or suspected by the school administrator or delegate shall be responsible for all necessary confrontation/consultation. In cases of alcohol abuse or a person who demonstrates symptoms of abuse (e.g., grogginess,staggering, slurred speech, dazed appearance, incoherence inability to respond, blood shot eyes, dilated pupils, vomiting, or recognizable drug or alcohol related odor) will be subject to the same consequences which apply to mood altering drugs, anyone suspected has the right to voluntarily submit and pay for a blood or breathalyzer test at local hospitals or medical facility. Possession or abuse is assumed where as persons refuse to submit and pay for blood or breath testing.

E. Confidentiality - Every effort will be made to limit information to school personnel having direct contact with the person (e.g., students, teachers, school administrator(s), and counselors). Police may also be contacted to carry out searches by investigation when the person refuses to cooperate.

F. Disposition of Substance -Substances will be sealed, documented, and turned over to the police with request for analysis.

1. F. Sales or Transfer - Sales/Solicitation or transfer of illegal substance will not be tolerated. Anyone suspected of the above fore-mentioned activities will be reported to the legal officials.

VII Health Risks of Drugs

Street Drugs

A desire to experience an altered state of consciousness has been a feature of human culture from time immemorial. In the search for mood and mind altering substances, humankind has long experimented and taken risks.

Perhaps more than ever before, we are surrounded by legal drugs in coffee, alcohol and cigarettes, let alone in prescribed medications such as sleeping tablets, tranquilizers and opioid painkillers. Using these can be a temptingly easy way to change or control ones mood and psychological state. Advertising and marketing may enhance the appeal of substance use. There are fashions in drug use and the use of a certain drug may be associated with a particular lifestyle or subculture.

Inevitably, some will run into problems, and, more seriously, some risk death as a direct result of their drug use.

Substances Used

Recreational drugs can be classified as stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens. Some drugs however can overlap these categories, for example ecstasy is both a stimulant and a hallucinogen, and, while low grade cannabis (hash) works as a depressant, stronger versions such as skunk may also have hallucinogenic properties.

Stimulants

Stimulants work by increasing neural activity in the brain. They have the short-term effect of making one feel lively, talkative, confident and euphoric. They are attractive to club and party-goers because they enhance sensory experience and postpone the need for sleep. As their effect wears off, however, they can leave you feeling restless, irritable or washed out. There may, therefore, be a temptation to avoid these 'coming down' feelings by taking more of the drug.

Long-term use or high doses can lead to extreme agitation, insomnia, delusions, hallucinations and paranoia particularly in susceptible individuals.

The most common stimulants are:

• Amphetamines (speed)
• Ecstasy (an hallucinogenic amphetamine)
• Tobacco
• Anabolic steroids - used illegally to enhance strength and performance in sport
• Amyl nitrite (poppers)
• Cocaine
• Crack cocaine

Depressants

Depressants work by depressing the central nervous system. They can therefore induce a state of relaxation or sedation as well as reducing the intensity of pain and of emotions such as fear, anger or anxiety.

They can also have short term effects of:

• Reducing intellectual ability and the ability to concentrate or retain information
• Reducing motivation and energy
• Reducing manual dexterity e.g. the ability to operate machinery, drive, climb or swim.

Examples of depressants are:

• Opiates such as heroin/diamorphine (smack) morphine, pethidine and methadone
• Benzodiazopines (tranquillizers such as Valium and Temazepam). These may be prescribed for short-term use to combat anxiety but they also have an illegal market
• Cannabis (many street names such as hash, dope, weed, gear). Long-term use or high doses may lead to depression, increased anxiety, an inability to deal effectively with emotions, short-term memory loss, and insomnia
• Alcohol

Regular use of some of these drugs (e.g. opiates and benzodiazopines) may lead to physical dependency since withdrawal may result in unpleasant physical symptoms. There is also the danger of a serious, or even fatal, overdose due to the depressing of physical systems such as the heart and lungs.

Hallucinogens

These drugs enhance sensory perceptions - sight, sound, smell and touch.

On a pleasant 'good trip' a person may experience increased self- awareness, and mystical or ecstatic feelings. On a 'bad trip' there may be unpleasant feelings of disorientation, panic, and/or paranoia. These may last several hours. People can also suffer 'flashbacks' where they relive experiences when tripping. This can be intensely disorientating and anxiety provoking.

A bad trip is more likely in someone who is already anxious, depressed or unstable, or who takes the drug in an insecure environment. It may not be affected by previous experience of the drug or by dosage.

Hallucinogens include:

• LSD
• Hallucinogenic stimulants such as Ecstasy (see above)
• Magic mushrooms
• High potency cannabis such as 'skunk'.

Possible side effects and dangers of drugs

All drugs (medicinal as well as illegal) have the potential for unwanted, and often unexpected, effects. They are usually substance and individual specific.

• The effects of a drug may vary according to the mental state of the person taking it. A strong mood-altering substance may trigger, or exacerbate an underlying emotional instability.
• Pleasurable effects followed by less pleasant after-effects may tempt someone into repeated use. Crack cocaine, for instance can tempt someone into repetitive use very quickly because it gives a very strong but short-term 'burst' of euphoria followed by an equivalently intense coming-down which may include high anxiety as well as physical malaise. In addition, physiological tolerance may build up with some drugs so that more of the drug is needed to induce the desired effect.
• Withdrawal from a drug in regular, or high dosage use may lead to physical symptoms i.e. there may be a physical dependency on the drug.
• Drugs may interact with each other (including legal ones such as alcohol). Some mixtures may even prove life- threatening.
• With any illicit drug there is no quality control so there is a constant danger of variable strength and of adulteration with undesirable substances. Sources of cannabis may vary in potency by 10-fold, from 2% hash to 20% skunk. In the case of heroin, in particular, it is the unexpectedly pure drug, which may kill someone who has insufficient tolerance.
• Injecting drugs involves the risk of introducing infections directly into the blood-stream. Sharing of needles is particularly dangerous as it may lead to cross-infections (e.g. HIV and hepatitis)
• Drugs taken during pregnancy may damage the foetus.

Heavy or regular drug use may be a symptom of a deeper malaise. People may turn to drugs in an attempt to avoid confronting problems or internal distress. This may work in the short-term but can come to have severe financial, social, legal or physical consequences.

Referenced from: http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/drugs.html