I. Goals. The Cape Elizabeth Substance Abuse Policy has the following purposes:

1. To discourage students from using illegal substances during their school years. Early use of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol are associated with higher rates of substance addiction and abuse later in life; higher rates of suicide and adolescent injuries and death; and poor academic performance.
2. To encourage students who have made poor choices to use illegal substances to come forward, accept responsibility, and get help where needed.
3. To build a sense of pride and positive spirit among those who participate in the Cape Elizabeth schools’ extracurricular program, as well as a positive public perception of Cape Elizabeth High School’s teams and performance groups.
4. To reinforce and support the learning in our schools’ Health curriculum and the values of our community and the majority of our parents who recognize the health and safety dangers of substance use by young people.

II. Connection to Code of Ethical and Responsible Behavior. This Substance Abuse policy reflects and seeks to reinforce each of the core ethical concepts in our Code of Ethical and Responsible Behavior:

• Respect. Having the respect for self that will lead to right decisions
• Honesty. Giving one’s word to the school, its advisors, and coaches to abide by this policy, and following through on that word.
• Compassion. Using this policy as an instrument to refer students who are in difficulty with illegal substances to get needed help and reducing the consequence for those who choose this route.
• Fairness. Achieving a balance between the offense and the consequence.
• Responsibility. Accepting the consequences of one’s actions and accepting the responsibilities to others that are inherent in membership on a school team or activity.
• Courage. Giving young people a reason to say “no” in the face of peer pressure and reinforcing those courageous decisions.
• Humility. Being willing to admit one’s mistakes and accept help from others when in trouble.

III. Prevention. The school department will provide students with information and activities focused on prevention of the use of alcohol and drugs. Programs are to be provided that teach students that using illicit drugs and alcohol is wrong and harmful. The legal, social, and health consequences of drug and alcohol abuse are to be addressed. Students are to be taught how to resist peer pressure.

IV. Intervention. The school department will establish and provide assistance, through a team approach, to intervene with students who are involved with drugs and/or alcohol. Students are to be assisted in addressing their harmful involvement with drugs and alcohol and in continuing in their educational programs. Moreover, information and referral will be provided, as appropriate, to aid involved students and the parents of involved students in connecting with community agencies for drug and alcohol use treatment. In addition to other consequences provided for, all students who violate this policy shall be referred to a social worker or guidance counselor for appropriate information gathering, counseling, and suggestions for further treatment. The student shall be required to attend such meetings as the social worker or guidance counselor deems to be in the student’s best interest.

V. Covered Activities. This policy shall apply to all students on school grounds or at any school-sponsored events on or off school grounds.

Additionally, this policy is built on a recognition that participation in school extracurricular activities, holding leadership positions in school activities and student government, and receiving school recognitions are privileges, not rights. In each case, students are held out by the school or perceived by the public as representing the Cape Elizabeth schools. Accordingly, this policy shall apply to:

• All students involved in student government,
• All students involved in interscholastic competitions of any sort, including but not limited to athletics, Speech/Debate, Mock Trial, etc.; and
• All students involved in extracurricular activities involving major public performances, including but not limited to Theater and Jazz Band.

Each year, the administration shall list in the student handbook those activities, in addition to athletics, to which this policy applies based on the mix of activities in the school at that time.

VI. Prohibited Conduct. The following conduct is prohibited under this policy.

• Students shall not use, sell, furnish, or be in possession or under the influence of any product containing tobacco or alcohol.
• Nor will a student manufacture, sell, furnish, possess, use, or be under the influence of any narcotic drug, amphetamine, barbiturate, marijuana, anabolic steroid, or prescription drug (unless the student has a lawful prescription for that drug and is using it in the manner prescribed); or any other controlled substance defined in federal and state laws/regulations; any look-alike substance; or any substance that is represented to be a controlled substance.

• Nor will any student be in possession of any paraphernalia associated with the use of such substances, the possession of which is a violation of law.
• Nor will any student host, voluntarily or involuntarily, a gathering at his/her home where prohibited activities in violation of this policy take place unless the student and/or his parents/guardians immediately contact the police to bring such a gathering to an end.

VII. Investigation and Evidence to Support Conclusion of Violation. It shall be the responsibility of the administration to investigate thoroughly any allegations or information concerning possible violations of this policy on school grounds or at school sponsored events. It shall be the responsibility of the administration to conduct a limited, reasonable investigation of any other possible violations where information concerning those violations is received from the police or is received from an adult source who consents to have his/her name used in connection with the investigation, but not in other cases. It is understood that information is sufficient to support a finding of a violation if the information gathered indicates that it is more probable than not that a violation occurred. In all cases where a violation is found to have occurred, a parent/guardian shall be contacted by a school administrator.

VIII. Disseminating Information About This Policy/Collecting Signed Acknowledgments of Understanding. The schools shall communicate to all parents and students the content of this policy and provide a document(s) in layman’s language highlighting key provisions and addressing common misconceptions. This communication may be in the form of documents sent to each home as part of a summer mailing, or it may be accomplished on the school’s website, with parents being directed to that website in a summer mailing or by other comparably effective means.

At the high school level, the high school administrators shall communicate the key provisions of this policy to 9th grade parents at an annual, fall 9th grade parent evening.

The coach/advisor of each covered activity shall schedule a mandatory parent/student meeting at the outset of that activity. At that meeting, the coach/advisor shall, among other things, reinforce this policy. In order to be able to play or participate in the covered activity, students and parents shall be required to submit to the coach/advisor at the conclusion of the meeting a statement acknowledging their understanding of these rules. These signed statements shall be turned in by the coach/advisor to the Athletic Office or building administrator, as appropriate.

Notwithstanding that these acknowledgements are turned in at the beginning of each competitive or performance season, this policy and its consequences apply throughout the school year.

IX. Consequences for Violations
Students shall be assigned the following consequences for violations of this policy:
A. Suspension from School and Referral to Police. For any offense on school grounds or at a school sponsored activity on or off school grounds, students shall be suspended from school and referred to the police. The length of suspension shall be as follows:
Possession and Use Violations on School Grounds or at School Events
1st offense in a School Year. Four days, except the suspension will be reduced to two days if (a) the student agrees to see the school’s social worker for as many visits as the social worker deems necessary and to follow any recommendations of the social worker regarding the student’s substance use and (b) the student agrees to perform community service during the days of suspension as assigned by a school administrator

2nd offense in a School Year. Eight days.

3rd offense in a School Year. Ten days. The student shall also be referred to the Superintendent for consideration of possible expulsion.

Furnishing and Trafficking Violations (Excluding Tobacco Offenses) on School Grounds or at School Events
Ten days. The student shall also be referred to the Superintendent for consideration of possible expulsion.

B. Suspension from Covered Activity. Students shall forfeit their privilege to participate in competitions or performances in covered activities in accordance with the following schedule.

1st offense within a calendar year, Self Reporting. If a student or parent/guardian reports a violation to a school administrator within 48 hours of its occurrence, the student shall not forfeit the privilege of participating in any competitions or performances. The student shall be referred to meet with a substance abuse counselor, social worker, or guidance counselor, as available, for as many meetings as the substance abuse counselor, social worker, or guidance counselor deems appropriate and necessary. In order to continue eligibility to participate in the covered activity, the student is required to implement any plans that the substance abuse counselor, social worker, or guidance counselor recommends to the student and parent.

In the event of a first violation that is reported via a self-referral, the consequence for the student’s second offense will be the consequence provided below for a first violation, without self-referral; for the third offense, the consequence will be that provided below for a second offense; and for the fourth offense, the consequence will be as provided below for a third offense.

1st offense in a calendar year, without self-report. In the absence of a self-report to a school administrator, the student shall forfeit the privilege to participate as follows:

• Athletics. The next two countable contests if the team has fewer than ten total contests in a season excluding playoffs, or the next four countable contests if the team has ten or more countable contests in a season, excluding playoffs. If the student is not involved in a covered athletic activity at the time of the violation, this consequence will carry over to the next athletic team on which the student does participate.
• Other Covered Activities. The next two competitions or major performances of all activities in which the student is actively involved at the time of the violation. If the student is not actively involved in any non-covered activities at the time of the violation, then this consequence will carry over and apply to the next two non-athletic covered activities in which the student is involved.

2nd Offense in a calendar year. Students who violate this policy the second time in a school year shall forfeit the privilege to participate as follows:

• Athletics. The remainder of the athletic season. If there are fewer than eight/four countable contests remaining in the season at the time of the violation, then this consequence shall carry over to the next athletic season in which the student is involved so that the total consequence involves a minimum of eight/four countable contests.
• Other Covered Activities. All competitions and/or major public performances of covered activities for the next three months.

3rd Offense in a calendar year. Students who violate this policy the third time in a school year shall forfeit the privilege to participate in all covered activities for the remainder of the school year.

C. Loss of Leadership Positions and/or School Recognitions. Students who violate this policy who are elected or appointed school leaders or eligible for major, end-of-year school recognitions or scholarships or membership in the National Honor Society will be subject to the following additional consequences:

1st offense. Loss of athletic team captaincy.

2nd offense in school year. Loss of any elected or appointed leadership positions and eligibility for all major, end-of-year school recognitions or scholarships or membership in the National Honor Society for the remainder of the school year.

3rd offense cumulatively. Loss of any elected or appointed leadership positions and eligibility for all major, end-of-year school recognitions or scholarships or membership in the National Honor Society for the remainder of the student’s career in that school. 

D. EDUCATION CHECKLIST
            All first-time violators of this policy shall be required to complete an information checklist related to the legal, insurance, and other consequences of substance use and abuse. Completion of the checklist may require the student to interview law enforcement, insurance or other officials about these consequences. This checklist must be completed to the satisfaction of the school administration before the student is allowed again to participate in any performances or competitions.

ADOPTED:    June 13, 2006
REVISED:      June 9, 2009