IN FORT WAYNE, IT PAYS TO SAY NO

BAAD isn't bad anymore.

In the case of Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, BAAD is good.

BAAD stands for Bruins Against Alcohol and Drugs. It's a new program at Northrop whose main purpose is to reward kids who don't use drugs or alcohol by giving them discounts at area stores, according to Sue Beerman, assistant principal at Northrop High School.

Beerman explained how the program came about. "About five or six years ago, I saw a spot on TV about a small town in Texas where the merchants got together and offered discounts to kids who said they wouldn't do drugs. I thought it would be a neat idea and started kicking it around with people up here. And the basic objection here was, `Well, how in the world do you prove it in a city this size?' (You have to know) who's taking drugs and who isn't or you're not going to get merchants to participate.

"I talked it over with other teachers, administrators, with students, with business leaders and with people in substance abuse programs. And it was one of those ideas that just fell into place over the years as different people gave various ideas."

Then before the school year started, the student body of Northrop received fliers telling what the program was and how to get involved. Interested students returned a form which they and their parents had to sign.

Prospective BAAD members sign a pledge that says they won't use illegal drugs or drink alcohol. To back up their pledge, they undergo a urinalysis drug screening. During the screening a member of the Parent Teacher Student Association, of the same sex, accompanies the student. The monitor, however, does not have direct observation of the student.

In addition, the water in the toilet is shaded so the student cannot substitute water for a sample. Anyone who touches the sample signs a "chain of custody" form to prevent any tampering with the sample.

To ensure confidentiality, each student receives a number for identification purposes. The student and Beerman are the only people aware of the individual's number. Furthermore, Beerman added, "I'm the only person who has access to the numbers, the students and the results."

If the screening is negative, the student becomes part of the program and his/her student ID is stamped with the BAAD emblem. Members are also subject to random drug testing to ensure they uphold the pledge.

To obtain store discounts, students show their stamped IDs to area merchants participating in the program. Stores participating in the BAAD program include fast food restaurants, ice cream shops and clothing and shoe stores.

Beerman said no student has tested positive for drugs or alcohol so far, but if such a case occurs, his/her membership in the program will be terminated. A call will be made to the student's parents to inform them of the results, but nothing else will be done.

When asked why there will be no further action taken, Beerman said, "This is a program designed to help kids, and we don't want to punish kids. We want kids to go through this (experience) and we want to open communication between kids and the parents . . .We think that's much more positive than doing something like reporting them to the police."

Beerman is very pleased with the success of the program. "Actually, we've exceeded our goals. We have over 20 percent of our students enrolled in the program," she said. Out of the 1,975 students at Northrop, 423 have joined the program.

One BAAD member also agreed that the program is successful. Ingrid Cynar, 17, said, "It's definitely something that's going to be beneficial to at least our high school . . .I know this is our first year with it and so far it seems to be a success.

"It provides not only an alternative to choosing between whether or not to drink in high school, but I think it also provides an excuse. If you're at a party or something like that and somebody is trying to pressure you to drink and it's really not something you want to do, you can use this as an excuse: `Oh well, I'm in BAAD, I can't do that.' You never know when the drug testing is going to be and you can't take a chance."

Another member, Leah Williams, 17, added that the program is more effective than previous efforts. "I think it's a pretty good idea because it ensures that the members in it really are sticking to what they're supposed to do. Before when they had just SADD (Students Against Drunken Driving), it would be easy for someone to be in SADD but still drink. But now that they have this program, I guess you could say people are forced to follow the rules."

When the opportunity to be interviewed was given to non-BAAD members, no kids responded. Beerman explained, "I would guess that there is a concern about confidentiality, and so no one stepped forth to be identified."