Pubdate: Mon, 01 Apr 2002 Source: Modesto Bee, The (CA) Copyright: 2002 The Modesto Bee Contact: http://www.modbee.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/271 Author: April Richardson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) SAFETY TRUMPS PRIVACY I read your article on the the Supreme Court case involving drug testing of students involved in school extracurricular activities ("Justices likely to endorse expanded student drug tests," March 20, page A-1). If sports as an extracurricular activity has a requirement of drug testing, I don't see the harm in enforcing this same policy for all extracurricular activities. Why should sports programs be treated any differently than other extracurricular activities? As for the questionable invasion of Fourth Amendment rights of the students participating in non-sports extracurricular activities, I see the drug testing as more of a condition of participating in that activity rather than an invasion of privacy. Drugs are a serious concern in all high schools. Just because a person does not participate in sports does not mean that he or she is not doing drugs. The safety of others comes before personal privacy. APRIL RICHARDSON Los Banos - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom