NO POINT TO RANDOM TESTING SAYS PRINCIPAL

Kawerau College principal Steve Hocking has rejected the used of
random drug tests for pupils, because he says too many would come back
positive through passive smoking ñ breathing in cannabis smoke from
adult smokers.

All of the five suspensions at the Eastern Bay of Plenty school this
year had been for drugs, he said.

Drugs were a major concern in the community.

"Sometimes parents are more smashed than their kids when they come in
for an interview," he said.

A doctor at the Addiction Resource Centre, Nelson Sucgang, said
passive smoking would not produce a positive result.

Tests done on passive smokers did not reach anywhere near the levels
of cannabis compounds found in direct users.

But Mr Hocking said in his view random testing would not be
reliable.

The large amount of cannabis in the community meant young people were
often breathing-in cannabis smoke from adult smokers, Mr Hocking said.

He also knew of some parents who openly smoked marijuana in front of
their children.

"It's so depressing talking about the issue of drugs and the impact
it's having on young people, their brain and their
development."

If there were indisputable evidence that the tests were reliable he
would consider random drug testing, he said.

"But at this stage I would rather get the police to bring in their
drug dogs."

At least three BOP schools have introduced random drug testing
following a growing number of drug-related suspension and expulsion
rates in the region.

The tests cost $22.50 each. If the result is negative, schools meet
that cost. Where there are positive test results the parents of the
offending students pay.

Last year nearly 200 students in the region were suspended for
drugs.

Students agreed to undergo random drug testing on the condition they
be allowed back at school.

He was confident the school was successfully dealing with the issue of
drugs without random drug testing, Mr Hocking said.

"Out of those students suspended all have come back to school. They
have all been on a daily report for a five-week period. Every teacher
has to sign the report which shows they are alert, at school and are
not under the influence of drugs. We also insist they get drug
counselling. That is monitored by the deputy principal, and we are
seeing improvements."

John Paul College principal Bede Roughton said he brought in random
drug testing this year after four students were suspended for drugs.

Although he was not 100 percent sure if passive smokers showed
positive results, he had confidence in urine tests taken by doctors.

Fifteen students from Edgecumbe College agreed to random drug testing
last year, principal's secretary Pat Taylor said. This year 10
students had been regularly tested.

The school had been very pleased with the results and change in
student attitude.

Rotorua Lakes High has a drug policy in place which allowed boards to
random drug test, but the school had not needed to use the procedure,
according to principal John Ellis.

Dr Sucgang said schools should not be put off random drug testing for
fear of inaccuracy. But he was concerned many parents could not afford
the tests.

"The tests should be used as a deterrent. There are ways of making
them 100 percent accurate but it becomes expensive and it's more
important to prevent kids from taking it."