Pubdate: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) Copyright: 2008 Journal Sentinel Inc. Contact: http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/submit.asp Website: http://www.jsonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/265 Author: Florence Edwards Drug Testing STUDENTS WILL SIMPLY AVOID TESTING LOCATIONS While the desire of schools and communities to help students deal with the pressure to do drugs is admirable, random drug testing misses a key point about the young-adult mind-set. If students know that they may be randomly tested for drugs, the ones who have real drug problems will just avoid the venue for testing, be that sports, other school activities or school itself. Ironically, these are the places that might be best equipped to help addicted students get the treatment they need. Supportive coaches and teachers are in a position to make a difference. When I was in high school, a close friend appealed to a teacher to help with her friend's drug problem. The girl was dangerously abusing alcohol and coming to school high most of the time. If the school's reaction to her problem had been to discipline, rather than to offer help, or if she had not had a trusting relationship with the teacher who facilitated the process, then she may never have received the treatment she needed. When last I heard, she was clean, sober and had finished high school. I don't know if this would have happened with a punitive drug-testing policy. Florence Edwards Madison - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom