Pubdate: Fri, 06 Feb 2004 Source: USA Today (US) Copyright: 2004 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc Contact: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466 Author: Brian Blake Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n213/a01.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) DRUG TESTING WORKS The commentary "Students find dialogue more effective than drug testing" demonstrates several fundamental misunderstandings of modern drug testing and based its argument on an outdated study that does not, in fact, measure the effectiveness of random student drug testing (The Forum,Monday). Drug testing today is designed to help students, not punish them. In much the same way that students must be immunized to protect other students' health, drug testing helps prevent the disease of addictionfrom spreading in our schools. When used as part of a broad drug-prevention program, testing gives students the armor they need to resist drugs. It also allows parents and administrators to intervene confidentially with teens who have just started using drugs and helps identify teens who have a drug problem so their loved ones can assist them in getting help. A number of studies have shown that random student drug testing can be a powerful tool to deter teen drug use. Employers and other sectors of society increasingly are adopting drug-testing programs because they have seen the impressive results. During the course of 20-year drug-testing program, drug-use rates among U. S. military personnel have dropped from 27% to 3%. Americans are relieved when they board a plane or put their children on a bus, because the pilots and bus drivers are tested for drugs. Why deny our children--the ones most susceptible to drugs--this effective tool. Brian Blake deputy press secretary Office of National Drug Control Policy Executive office of the President Washington - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake