Pubdate: Sun, 15 May 2005
Source: Mail Tribune, The (Medford, OR)
Copyright: 2005 The Mail Tribune
Contact:  http://www.mailtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/642
Note: Only prints LTEs from within it's circulation area.
Note: See authors below.
Referenced: Making Sense of Student Drug Testing, Why Educators are Saying 
No http://www.drugtestingfails.org/booklet_form.html or 
http://www.aclu.org/DrugPolicy/DrugPolicy.cfm?ID=14767&c=79
Cited: Students for Sensible Drug Policy http://www.daregeneration.com/
Cited: Educators for Sensible Drug Policy http://efsdp.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

SINCE WE ASKED: A DIFFERENT 'TEST' FOR STUDENTS?

When a group of Medford parents brought a petition to the school board, 
asking for an official look into the possibility of randomly testing 
students for drugs, they knew the suggestion would spark a debate.

So did we. That's why we made it our question last week ... and you folks 
didn't fail us, as we received dozens of responses with various opinions on 
the subject.

After you have had a chance to read through them, please take a moment to 
answer this week's question.

But for now, we asked:

Should schools be allowed to randomly test students for drugs?

# Yes, especially students participating in sports. Random tests might help 
alleviate a life long problem (and) allow parents to get their children 
help. -- Dawn D., Gold Hill

# Yes. Employers have that ability. Schools should too; but with personal 
rights protected and treatment options and counseling, not expulsion, 
mandatory for students. -- Jackie, Talent

# Absolutely not. If adults cannot be randomly tested, then students should 
not be held to standards that adults are unwilling to be held to 
themselves. If parents want to drug test their children, they should take 
them to their family doctor and ask for it there. -- Jamie, Medford

# Sure, test the kids -- then the teachers, then the principal, then the 
school board, then the bus drivers, then ... then ... then, etc. -- Bill 
S., Eagle Point

# I would be all in favor of school drug testing. If it worked. But it 
doesn't. What it does do is send a strong message to kids. The message that 
we adults don't trust them. The message that their word and their integrity 
is worth less than their urine. The message that the government has the 
right to intrude into every facet of our private lives. Ask yourself, who 
would be more likely to favor random drug tests meant to ensure lockstep 
purity, Jesus or Hitler? -- Greg F., Cyberspace

# Testing students should be considered when the entire drug testing 
program is used from the top down first. We may not want to believe it but 
it would shock everyone if the first people tested were the administrators 
and civic leaders, the police and law profession, our medical 
professionals, and so on. ... I have no ax to grind, just would like 
everyone to take a real look at reality. Drive into any city in this land 
and before you see a school, or church, or police station, you will see a 
Drug Store. Every time I see a sign on a vehicle that says "Our Company 
Drug Free" I want to laugh. Saving our children starts at home, if anyone 
is there to spend time with them. -- D.B., Applegate

# Schools should definitely be allowed to randomly test for drugs on their 
students. How else do we expect to keep our public schools safe? Although 
it's ultimately up to the parents to expect more of their children. If they 
don't enforce drug laws firsthand, then who else will? -- Jennifer S., 
Central Point

# Randomly testing students or employees for drugs is to assume they are 
guilty and must prove their innocence. That's not American. Testing must be 
limited to those who exhibit signs of drug abuse. Those who function and 
perform normally should not be subject to America's new witch hunt. -- 
Darryl E., Eagle Point

# I don't think the school should be paying just because parents don't 
trust their children. If the parents feel that strongly about it, let them 
take on the responsibility and have their own children randomly tested. Do 
these parents think the rest of the taxpayers are big, deep pockets? -- Don 
B., Medford

# Why random drug tests? If they know there is a problem, then they know 
who the problem kids are, right? Just test those kids and save the school 
district some money. Either way, random or profiling, they're just asking 
for huge legal problems. Hmmmm, public random drug tests. What's next, 
cameras in our homes? -- Bruce, Medford

# YES!!! There are too many children in school today that are on drugs. If 
the parents want them tested, they should have to pay for it. I feel that 
every student should be tested at least three times a year for the sake of 
the school and other students. I also feel that with open campus that adds 
to the problem of drugs because every day you see these kids light up their 
pot once they are off the school grounds. Closed campus for all students. 
- -- Kathy M., Medford OR

# Absolutely! One more step should be added though. When a kid tests 
positive for drugs then the parents or guardians should be tested also. 
Kids don't get their dope just from other kids or a dealer. Might help Mom 
or Dad to be more watchful. -- Alan F., Trail

# No. Drug testing has absolutely no effect on students' drug use, as shown 
by the largest study ever done on the topic, which was federally funded. 
Besides, shoving students into bathroom stalls while their teachers stand 
outside the door listening for the sounds of urination is invasive 
andembarrassing. -- Tom Angell, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, 1623 
Connecticut Ave NW; Suite 300; Washington, DC 20009

# Sure, test students, but only if you also randomly drug test the teachers 
and administration, parents and pastors, bus drivers and coaches, etc. 
Rather than singling out students, how about we treat equally those 
responsible to teach, train, guide, and influence them. The results may 
enlighten us all. -- Rick B., formerly of Central Point

# NO. Random drug testing violates privacy in a most degrading fashion. It 
is most effective in detecting the least-toxic substance, marijuana. Would 
the concerned Medford parents prefer their children choose the 
less-detectable and second most popular form of substance-abuse, huffing? 
- -- Rick S., San Jose, Calif.

# I believe this is a good idea. We all want our children to be safe and 
with random drug testing, I would hope this would help keep more kids away 
from drugs. This might have an influence for them not to take a chance at 
getting caught. -- Lisa H., Medford

# It's the parents job to monitor their kids and make sure they aren't 
doing drugs. Why should taxpayers have to give up their hard earned money 
to support a program to do what parents should be doing already? -- Krissy 
C., Medford

# Realize that drug use is a problem, but educators should educate -- not 
police -- the students. Testing general student population tramps on the 
1st Amendment. -- Robert J., Phoenix

# The use of random drug testing is schools will serve no good purpose, but 
will train our youth to do without their full complement of civil rights. 
Given the current plans and goals of the federal government, a bunch of 
adults who have been trained since school to do without their civil rights 
will be more easily made compliant to the will of the government than a 
bunch of adults who know and are protective of them. So indeed yes, test 
them. If we truly love our President and want a real Christian America, 
drug testing as training for compliance to governmental dictate can never 
begin too soon. -- Laird F., Williams

# Since the publication of the definitive "Making Sense of Student Drug 
Testing, Why Educators are Saying No" (January 2004) written by Fatema 
Gunja, Alexandra Cox, Marsha Rosenbaum, Ph.D. and Judith Appel, JD, the key 
flaws in random student drug testing have been exposed. Simply put, 
evidentiary coercive interventions fail to accomplish the 'deterrence' aims 
intended. The 24-page report facilitated by ACLU and the Drug Policy 
Foundation discusses promising alternatives to continuing paradigms of 
failure. I commend it to your readers and trust it helps inform parents and 
caregivers about how best to address drug use among young people in your 
community. -- Blair Anderson, Director, Educators for Sensible Drug Policy, 
Christchurch, New Zealand

# By all means, YES! Maybe we can nip this drug problem in the bud before 
it takes hold of them! As a mother of three, I would fully support random 
drug testing in the schools; I would welcome it! -- Lisa M., Medford

# Yes, with parental consent. -- JLD, Central Point

# If there is a reasonable belief that a student or group of students are 
under the influence of a controlled substance then by all means YES!! 
Schools are suppose to be for education not someplace to go to "get high." 
- -- Michelle, Medford 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake