Pubdate: Sat, 18 Sep 2004 Source: Metrowest Daily News (MA) Copyright: 2004 MetroWest Daily News Contact: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/619 Author: Peter Cholakis Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) END ABUSE WITH RANDOM DRUG TESTS Drugs of abuse are indeed killing far too many children and young adults, and all statistics point that the problem is getting worse, not better. Two 20-year olds from Hopkinton died from heroin overdoses this summer alone. In addition to higher usage rates for many drug types -- 99 percent of the drug abuses today include marijuana, cocaine, opiates (includes heroin, morphine, oxycotin, etc.), and methamphetamines (includes meth, and ecstasy, among others) -- the heightened broard security at our borders resulting form 9/11 has resulted in dramatically increased marijuana prices, and alternatively, an influx of inexpensive heroin. In fact, heroin can be purchased for the same price, or even less than marijuana. There is no excuse for inaction on the part of parents, schools, and government as there is at least one proven solution that would dramatically reduce drug abuse: on-site random drug testing. Ask any law officer who knows the facts about drug use and they will tell you that Project DARE was/is a failure, thus education itself is not a solution. Cutting off drug supply, has also proven equally ineffective. The Only proven deterrent to drugs is random drug testing. Random testing has proven to reduce drug use by a factor of three to one. It costs about $20 per test, and can be done in the schools, on-site, in minutes, and with newer technology using oral fluids, not urine collection. Why isn't it being done? Ignorant people shout that random drug testing would create an atmosphere of mistrust in the schools, or drug testing is a violation of civil rights. The reality is that most children and parents have no issue with drug testing, if it's done in a fair equitable and reasonable manner. This Translates into (1) Test everyone in the school, students, teachers, staff, (2) promote that drug testing is a service to help, not punish and (3), test on a truly random basis or for reasonable cause. Remember, parents, statistics show that it takes 3.5 to 4 years on average for a parent to learn that their child is on drugs. Do you think that is fast enough to save a life? - --- MAP posted-by: Josh