[IVY]

US PA: Should Schools Do Random Drug Tests?




SHOULD SCHOOLS DO RANDOM DRUG TESTS?

MOON TWP. - Mary Ann Solberg, deputy director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, said Thursday she is convinced that random drug testing of all students in public high schools would lead to fewer drug-addicted teens.

But opponents questioned the cost, privacy issues and whether random drug testing is effective.

During a visit to a forum at a Moon Township hotel to promote the president's request for $25.4 million in grant money this year for school drug-testing programs, Solberg said she initially was skeptical of the idea, thinking of whether she would want her own daughter drug-tested.

But Solberg said she became convinced of the need for random drug testing in schools after visiting districts in Texas and Louisiana that are trying to keep drug problems from overwhelming their classrooms.

Solberg said students and school officials she has spoken with have overwhelmingly supported the idea because they say they would feel safer and would be able to get more accomplished academically.

To make the program work, Solberg said participating districts need to have comprehensive prevention programs in place, keep the results of tests confidential from the public and promise students would not face punishment for testing positive for drug use. Instead, the focus should be on treatment, she said.

Tom Angell, spokesman for Students for Sensible Drug Policy, which has chapters throughout the country, said drugs are a serious problem but random drug testing is not the solution.

His group had three representatives standing outside the Moon forum. They handed out pamphlets, but were not protesting.

Angell said a recent National Institute on Drug Abuse study conducted through the University of Michigan found no differences in drug use by students in schools with random drug testing than with students in other schools. Solberg countered that the study was flawed.

Angell said his organization is concerned that random drug testing only impairs the trust between students and teachers. The group also is worried that students might switch from marijuana, which is easily detectable, to harder drugs that do not stay in their systems as long.

Solberg said students will have to go through random drug tests in the military and the workplace, so testing in schools would only prepare them for the future. And it would give students an excuse to avoid the peer pressure of using drugs if they could argue a positive test could impair their scholarship chances because district officials would know the results, she said.

Angell argued that the money school districts would have to raise for drug testing could be better used on after-school programs and other prevention and treatment activities.

Solberg responded that the money for testing would be well spent. She said the cost for setting up treatment programs for those who test positive would be no more than buying helmets for football teams.

"We're talking about the health of our children," Solberg said.

Solberg had no figures on how many school districts in the nation already are doing random drug testing of students. Officials said Seneca Valley is the only school district in this area to conduct random testing.

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n736/a11.html
Newshawk: Stop the War on Youth - www.DAREgeneration.com
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Fri, 06 May 2005
Source: Beaver County Times, The (PA)
Copyright: 2005 Beaver County Times
Contact: timesletters@timesonline.com
Website: http://www.timesonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2449
Author: Patrick O'Shea
Cited: Students for Sensible Drug Policy http://www.DAREgeneration.com
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

[fireitup420]

yeah they started that the year after i was gone from my pennsylvania high school... if u look high or they over hear u say sumin about drugs they can take u down to the nurses office and give u a piss test, and they even had a breathalizer at my school. and if u refused u got expelled-- how fucked up is that i dont see how its legal i'm just glad i was the fuck outta there

[drukqs]

Wow thats sucks balls, my town is way too rich for that... The school would get there asses sued off in two seconds if they cought the ceo of some companies son on drugs....

[fireitup420]

Originally Posted by drukqs

Wow thats sucks balls, my town is way too rich for that... The school would get there asses sued off in two seconds if they cought the ceo of some companies son on drugs....

i went to the 1st, or 2nd richest population school dist. in allegheny county(county pittsburgh is in)............. it dont mean shit it's legal somehow

some schools around here all athletes get pissed tested

[drukqs]

Originally Posted by fireitup420

i went to the 1st, or 2nd richest population school dist. in allegheny county(county pittsburgh is in)............. it dont mean shit it's legal somehow

some schools around here all athletes get pissed tested

hmm, now i feel a little unsafe ={

[fireitup420]

Originally Posted by drukqs

hmm, now i feel a little unsafe ={

are u in school now? it took them like 3yrs to get it to go threw at my school so even if u are still in school you'll prob be out by the time it would go into effect