Pubdate: Fri, 07 Nov 2008
Source: Times Union (Albany, NY)
Copyright: 2008 Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation
Contact: http://www.timesunion.com/forms/emaileditor.asp
Website: http://www.timesunion.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/452
Author: Terry Kaplan
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08.n987.a03.html

RANDOM STUDENT DRUG TESTING ISN'T A GOOD IDEA

Last week, President Bush's drug czar descended upon  Albany to try to
convince our educators to implement  random student drug testing
("White House argues for  school drug testing", Oct. 30.) New York
educators have  much to consider before adopting this controversial 
tactic.

The American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement  opposes
involuntary drug testing of adolescents at  school or at home,
emphasizing that more research is  needed on both the safety and
effectiveness before  implementing testing programs.

Random student drug testing hurts relationships between  students and
school officials. Do you remember the  importance of the teacher or
coach with whom you really  connected? Prevention research shows that
such  relationships are essential components to creating a  safe and
rewarding learning environment.

Random testing also deters students from  extracurricular activities
- -- programs that provide  structure and supervision after school.

Finally, random testing teaches students the wrong  lessons about
their rights and the role of the  government. Schools should promote
healthy behaviors,  not inure them to government surveillance.

Terry Kaplan

New York City
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin