IDENTIFYING DRUG USERS ONE PART OF TWO-PRONGED EQUATION

Benson, Sierra Vista and U.S. Drug Enforcement officers this month
conducted a random search at the Benson school district and came up
with two students in possession of marijuana. While it is unfortunate
that drugs were found, we think the random searches are a good idea
and should be continued.

If there is good news here, it is that only two instances of drugs
were found and it was marijuana, rather than meth, cocaine or other
more dangerous drugs. The sad fact is that drugs are an epidemic with
young people now, and schools and parents must do everything in
their power to protect kids, whether they want that protection or
not.

Just the threat of random searches may encourage some students to
leave the drugs at home and may give others a socially acceptable
reason to say no in the face of peer pressure. It's a lot easier for
one kid to tell another that he's afraid of getting caught rather
than he doesn't like drugs. While random searches are good, they may
not be enough long-term. More and more schools are going to random
drug testing. It won't take kids long to know they shouldn't bring
the stuff on campus. The goal of administrators and law enforcement
is to prevent them from using, rather than from bringing it to school.

The Willcox schools this year implemented random drug testing on all
students involved in extra-curricular activities. In Willcox's
definition, that includes sports, clubs, going on field trips or even
riding a school bus. During public comment before the policy was
instituted, there was little opposition. And surprisingly, most of
the kids endorsed the policy. That fact alone is a clear indicator of
the enormity of the problem. The kids know better than anyone whether
such a policy is needed.

Benson has considered such a policy, but there are costs involved. So
for the time being, the schools will stick with random searches. We
hope they will investigate sources of funding for random testing in
the future. But whether or not that happens, the schools and the
community need to deal with the other end of the equation.

It is good to identify drug users. But addiction is an illness. If we
identify, we need to offer treatment options. But those are few and
far between in Cochise County as a whole. Without treatment, the
entire exercise becomes punitive. It's not so very different from
testing people for diabetes and then telling those who test positive
that there is no insulin.

So yes, we need to identify drug users by whatever means practicable.
But then we need to help them overcome the problem. It's a two-part
deterrent equation.