Pubdate: Tue, 18 Dec 2012
Source: Reporter, The (PA)
Copyright: 2012 The Reporter
Contact:  http://www.thereporteronline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3468
Note: from the Colorado Springs Gazette

PARENTS AND SCHOOLS MUST CONTROL DRUGS

ANYONE PAYING attention knows that prohibition of pot alone has done
little to prevent kids from using it. Today's children have no
difficulty finding the drug. In fact, anti-marijuana legislation may
have had the unintended and disastrous effect of giving parents and
school officials a false sense of security.

Beyond question, prohibition put the trade entirely into the hands of
underground dealers who never check IDs. It is potentially easier to
keep children off cigarettes because they are sold by regulated
vendors who put their livelihoods at risk if they sell to minors.
Underground dealers have no such concerns.

Love or hate legalization, enacted by voters in states such as
Colorado and Washington, it is here and probably here to stay. It may
well be the wave of the future for a majority of states, as Americans
have tired of funding a drug war that is widely considered a joke.

Given that voters have spoken, we hope legalization reduces drug abuse
among children. Advocates said it would, and they had best work toward
that end. Legalization will have this positive effect only if adults
choose to proceed in intelligent fashion, regardless of their feelings
about marijuana.

THE CATHOLIC Diocese of Colorado Springs may be on the leading edge of
turning legalization into an asset. St. Mary's High School in Colorado
has adopted a new drug testing policy that will begin in March with
voluntary testing. It will progress to mandatory testing for students
in the fall of 2013.

For the voluntary phase, school officials will ask parents to agree in
writing to have their kids tested. School personnel will receive
training to collect hair samples that will be tested in a professional
lab. When lab results indicate use, suspected students will attend
cessation classes and lose extracurricular privileges for a week.
Second offenses will result in three-day suspensions from class and
30-day suspensions from extracurricular activities. Third strikes will
result in permanent expulsions. Parents will be free to exact lawful
consequences of their choosing at home.

Hair samples are expected to show drug abuse for the past 90 days,
including use of cocaine, marijuana, Ecstasy and opiates - which
includes hard prescription narcotics often taken from household
medicine cabinets.

Public schools may have less latitude for mandatory testing programs,
but there is no question they have the authority to adopt voluntary
programs that give parents the option of subjecting their children to
tests.

The actions of St. Mary's may indicate an end to a dangerously false
sense of security regarding the ability of law enforcement to keep
children off of drugs. While marijuana prohibition had merit, it fell
woefully short of alleviating the need for parents and teachers to
lead the charge against drugs.

Unless the new St. Mary's program stands as an isolated reaction to
the legalization, we may finally see schools and parents step up and
take responsibility for a problem they have neglected for generations
by relinquishing it to law enforcement.

Parents and schools have direct daily access to kids. Cops and courts
do not, which probably explains why laws against marijuana have had
disappointing results.

WE APPLAUD St. Mary's for taking its initiative to detect and
discourage drug abuse. We encourage all parents and schools to examine
this model and consider their own options. Good going, St. Mary's.
Make this program work to keep future generations free from drugs.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D