Pubdate: Mon, 13 Jan 2014
Source: World, The (Coos Bay, OR)
Copyright: 2014 Southwestern Oregon Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.theworldlink.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1229
Author: Rob Taylor
Note: Rob Taylor is head of Coos County Watchdog, a private activist
organization created to respond to local government actions.

BANDON SHOULD STOP STUDENT DRUG TESTS

At the beginning of the current school year, The Bandon School Board
instituted a mandatory drug-testing policy for students who
participate in sports and other extracurricular activities sponsored
by the Oregon School Activities Association. Many in the community
thought the school district overreached in taking this action because
there is little evidence that student drug testing reduces drug use.
At the same time, the policy is intrusive, expensive, and undermines
parental control.

The results of a national survey recently published in the Journal of
Youth and Adolescence revealed that students who participated in
sports while undergoing mandatory drug testing stopped using only
during the testing period. Students who were already using pretest
went back to taking drugs when the testing period stopped at the end
of the season. In short, mandatory drug testing had little to no
long-term effect on drug use among student athletes. In some cases,
students simply substituted drinking hard alcohol for smoking pot,
because alcohol does not stay in the blood stream as long, reducing
the odds of a positive test. Interestingly, our school district tests
for marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and opiates when research
shows that today the drugs students most commonly abuse are
prescription drugs and steroids.

In 2008, the Washington Supreme Court unanimously found that a local
school district's policy of suspicionless urine testing for students
engaged in extracurricular athletic activities was unconstitutional
under the state's privacy laws, noting that "forcing student athletes
to submit their urine to officials is a degrading practice that treats
student athletes as suspects." Since then, there have been numerous
other cases that have been brought across the country giving voice to
parents' concerns that student drug testing is both ineffective and
unethical.

Parents often are under pressure to find things for their children to
do after school and extracurricular programs can alleviate stressful
situations at home. Most of the students who participate in after
school programs have far less free time to ingest illicit drugs, since
most of these activities require upwards of 21 hours a week in
supervised participation. There are circumstances where the threat of
a drug test may scare away the very students who need the focus
offered in a structured program. These activities may be the only
thing providing a nurturing atmosphere that prevents children from
turning to drugs in the future, so why risk losing their trust from
the beginning?

The school administrators have promised that the results of the drug
tests will be confidential. However, there are too many people
involved in administering the tests to guarantee privacy and nothing
is secret in a small town. What happens if the student who fails a
drug test is not a serious drug abuser, but a teenager who wanted to
play sports, did a dumb thing, and is now humiliated and stigmatized
by a process outside of parental control? What if the test result is a
false positive?

The school board did not thoroughly explain to the parents the legal
ramifications of a student failing a drug test. Under the law,
government agencies doing a background check can request a student's
academic record, including the results of any drug tests given to the
student. A failed test may result in a student's disqualification for
certain military commissions, security clearances and other sensitive
positions, resulting in real limitations on career choices. Is this
policy worth undermining parents' authority and their ability to
protect their child's future?

Schools used to teach The Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would 
have them do unto you." They are supposed to give children an 
education, not a criminal record. Students are people, not suspects, 
so school boards and administrators must take into consideration the 
long-lasting fallout from "feel-good" policies that, in the end, do 
more harm than good. They also have an obligation to consider 
alternatives to drug testing that emphasize drug education, 
counseling and extracurricular programs. Our common goal should be to 
build trust between schools and students and help prepare students to 
become responsible citizens, not treat them as possible criminals.

Unfortunately, without strong, vigilant parents, there are few
mechanisms in place to stop the injustices and harm caused by failed
school policies. Drug abuse is a serious concern. We need to work
cooperatively with the school authorities and be smarter about how to
fight it. Informed parents backed by a concerned local community
should unite and take immediate action to end mandatory drug testing
of students. Let's find a better way.

Rob Taylor is head of Coos County Watchdog, a private activist
organization created to respond to local government actions. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D