Pubdate: Fri, 04 Feb 2005
Source: Tullahoma News (TN)
Copyright: The Tullahoma News 2005
Contact: 
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=49033&BRD=1614&PAG=461&dept_id=161070&
Website: http://www.tullahomanews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2031
Author: Dr. Henry David Abraham
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

SHOULD WE DRUG TEST OUR CHILDREN?

More than half of our kids use an illegal substance before they graduate 
from high school. If children are subjected to random drug testing, goes 
the logic, testing might stop their drug use, or at least serve as a red 
flag to their parents who can then turn the kids around.

But random drug testing doesn't work in the way that its advocates hope it 
will. Random drug tests do not answer the critical questions of how much, 
or even what, a kid has been taking, or how often. Testing does not 
discriminate between kids who experiment and kids who are seriously 
involved with drugs. Testing can be inaccurate.

A crafty child can sabotage it. Testing ignores the most medically 
devastating drugs, tobacco and alcohol. But most instructive of all, 
scientific data show that random drug testing does not reduce drug use.

A 2003 survey of 722 secondary American schools involving 76,000 students 
by the University of Michigan found virtually identical rates of drug use 
in schools that have drug testing and schools that do not.

The problem with random testing is that not all of our kids use drugs, and 
even the ones who are at greatest danger are in the minority. So should we 
treat all kids as guilty until proven innocent?

As a physician who has drug tested patients thousands of times, my response 
is simple: no drug tests without reasonable suspicion.

The trick with drug testing children is to balance the desire to keep our 
children safe on the one hand, and protect their rights of privacy and 
freedom from illegal searches on the other. Remember, children have rights, 
too.

In 2002, the Supreme Court heard the case brought by high school student 
Lindsay Earls against her Board of Education. As a member of the Tecumseh 
High School marching band, she was required to submit to random urine 
checks. Earls knew she was drug free, and defended her privacy. She 
correctly felt that being in a marching band did not automatically put her 
at risk for drugs. The National Education Association and the American 
Academy of Pediatrics supported her case.

But in a 5 to 4 decision, the Court ruled against the high school student. 
Writing for the majority, Justice Thomas argued that schools have a greater 
interest in protecting children than maintaining their privacy. The four 
dissenting justices called the drug test program "capricious, even 
perverse." The dissenters further noted that the Tecumseh drug testing 
policy invaded the privacy of students who need deterrence the least, kids 
motivated to take part in extracurricular activities, while keeping kids at 
risk away from activities that might actually keep them off of drugs.

Despite the Earls case, there has been no stampede by schools to drug test 
our kids. One optimistically thinks that common sense may be loose in the 
land. Variations on drug testing have been proposed, such as having parents 
"register" their children for random testing in schools. Results would go 
to the parents, and parents would be educated regarding treatment options.

We're on the right track, but the solution is really far simpler than most 
people would believe. A clean kid does not need to be drug tested. A kid 
involved in drugs usually doesn't, either, since a parent can usually see 
the red flags of drug abuse if they just take a close look.

So is there a place for drug testing our kids? Sure, when a parent has 
suspicion of drug use, or when a kid has something to prove. Otherwise, the 
best drug test I know is the hug-and-sniff when they walk through the front 
door, with a heart to heart for a eye-opener the following morning. The 
strongest weapon we have to combat drug use in our children is not the 
chemistry lab, but heads-up parenting.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Henry David Abraham's recent book is "What's a Parent 
to Do? Straight Talk about Drugs and Alcohol." Dr. Abraham's website is 
www.drabraham.com.)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom