PROPOSED BILL AIMS TO DIRECT YOUNG DRIVERS AWAY FROM DRUGS

As proposed by state Rep. Roger Eddy, House Bill 262 states that an
applicant for an instruction permit who is under the age of 18 must
undergo testing for controlled substances and cannabis and must be
found to be free of controlled substances and cannabis before he or
she may receive an instruction permit. If the proposal makes it
through legislation, Eddy said he believes it will help sway young
drivers away from drug usage.

"I think this will give them a good, acceptable reason to say no is
in situations where there is peer pressure. Maybe they are 14 or
15-years-old when they are working to get their permit and they can
be in social situations where peer pressure is a real force. For them
to be able to say, 'I'm taking my drivers test in a week,' maybe that
was the one time they needed," he said.

"This is especially true with meth. It is highly addictive and once
or twice using it could get you addicted. If they can stay away from
it for that one time, it would be a good deterrent."

Another thing Eddy said the proposal was intended to enforce was that
driving is a privilege.

"There is no better time for drivers to learn that than when they are
getting their permit," he said.

When the bill was originally introduced, some had a problem with the
100 percent assumption of guilt, so the drug testing would be random.

"That was not the intent to assume that everyone is guilty, but if
that is something they are concerned about, let's do it randomly.
Let's find a random percentage that is reflective of what drug usage
might be in that age group," Eddy said.

While Eddy is hoping the bill will pass, others disapprove.

Pete Guither, a faculty advisor for Students for Sensible Drug Policy
at ISU, does not believe that the bill will be effective.

"I think it is ridiculous, silly, inappropriate and ineffective.
Here's the issue. Really what you need to be dealing with when it
comes to driving is impaired driving. Drug testing at the time of
permit or license has absolutely nothing to do with that. What it
does is simply go out of its way to target young people who have used
marijuana, regardless if it has anything to do with their driving,"
Guither said.

"The drug test would probably be very specifically targeted at
marijuana because its metabolites can stay in the system for days, so
that is what can be tested. It would be silly to say, 'We're going to
test people that have had a drink of wine two days ago. That is a
reason for them not to be drivers.'"

Kirk Ijams, assistant chief of Support Services at the Normal Police
Department, said although he does not know a lot about the bill, he
does not believe it would be very effective if it were only given
once and at random.

"People could start a habit after they get their license and could be
in danger. Also, if you're giving a test, test everybody and treat
everybody fairly," Ijams said. "It might catch a few but it probably
won't be as effective as if they tested every time a person got
renewed or something like that."

"Maybe we should do it more than once, maybe we should do it with
everybody, I don't know. I think we should be a lot more concerned
with the people driving, not under the influence of alcohol, but
under the influence of narcotics," Eddy said.

According to Guither, every study done has shown that alcohol is the
more dangerous factor when it comes to road safety.

"It is not even a close consideration with marijuana, which is
somewhat in the same area as cell phone usage and being tired," he
said. "It's really just a way for Congress to act tough. It is just
not constitutionally a good idea."