Pubdate: Sun, 04 May 2008
Source: Daily Inter Lake, The (MT)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Inter Lake
Contact:  http://www.dailyinterlake.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2501
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

A DILEMMA OVER DRUG TESTING

A vigorous community debate has been joined in Whitefish over drug 
and alcohol use by students and what should be done about it.

At the heart of the discussions is a proposal that, if  approved by 
the Whitefish School Board, would require  urinalysis testing of all 
students participating in  extracurricular activities. These students 
also would  have to submit to random drug testing throughout the  season.

That possibility has proven both emotional and  controversial, 
drawing praise and criticism from  parents, counselors and other 
Whitefish citizens.

That Whitefish High School has a drug problem  apparently is not in doubt.

Drug- and alcohol-related infractions are double what  they were last 
year at the school.

According to one estimate, one-third of Whitefish High  School 
students had used marijuana in the 30 days prior  to a survey. That's 
13 percent above the state average  and "way too many," according to 
the director of  Whitefish CARE.

Those are the kinds of numbers that have raised alarms  and prompted 
the push for drug testing.

Beyond the suggestion for mandatory testing, other  alternatives have 
been proposed, including  suspicion-based testing or voluntary random testing.

The more Whitefish delves into the issue, the more  questions arise: 
Whether testing should be voluntary or  mandatory, whether more than 
just students in  extracurricular activities should be tested, 
whether testing really works, and on and on.

It also raises a whole host of legal obstacles and  considerations. 
Privacy rights, civil liberties,  personal freedom and equal 
treatment are all part of  the mix.

Some people even question whether the schools, rather  than parents, 
should even be involved to this extent in  policing drug use.

And an underlying premise of the drug-testing plan is  that it must 
be paired with treatment and education to  truly be effective.

Obviously, this is a challenge with no easy solutions.

The first step in addressing the problem is a community dialogue.

And judging from the hundreds of people attending  community meetings 
on the issue (and the expected  turnout when the school board takes 
up the issue again  on May 13), that dialogue is well under way.

One comment made at a recent school board meeting  perhaps 
encapsulates the situation: If it's decided not  to do drug testing, 
that's fine -- but something has to  be done to address the drug 
situation in Whitefish.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom