BE CAUTIOUS WITH DRUG TESTS

I applaud the recent call that Conway School District Board of Education
President Terry Fiddler made for more parental input concerning educational
issues in our community. I would, however, caution school board members not
to use such input to implement a mandatory and suspicionless drug-testing
policy for students.

Such a potentially dangerous policy should not be implemented merely
because a certain number of parents say they want it; instead, it should be
implemented only after drug testing has been scientifically shown to be
effective and only after the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that it is
constitutional. Fortunately, relevant scientific and legal guidance should
be available within the next nine months.

In the meantime, the Conway School District should continue to implement
existing drug-education programs that are less expensive than drug testing
and which have been proven to be effective. Caution concerning drug testing
of students is of utmost importance.

Bruce Plopper
Conway