DRUG TESTING IN SCHOOLS FUTILE: REPORT

Drug testing in schools was unreliable, ineffective, likely to cost
billions of dollars and would potentially encourage students to skip
classes and take more harmful substances to dodge detection.

These were among the main findings from a report issued today by the
principal advisory body to the Federal Government on drug policy, the
Australian National Council on Drugs.

In the past 12 months, researchers reviewed international evidence,
took submissions from specialists in the field and conducted a
community survey to determine if drug testing should be introduced
into Australian schools. "No" that was the conclusion reached by the
team from the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction.

Council executive director Gino Vumbaca said the study showed that
performing drug tests on students could actually do more harm than good.

"It wouldn't be reliable, it would be very costly and it's ineffective.

"It could also lead to a number of negative unintended consequences.

"Instead, there are more effective interventions available to
schools. It has to be remembered that students bonding with schools
depends on trust and nurturing relationships. Drug testing is only
likely to break that down."

Students who struggled academically and those who had more than $60 a
week to spend were more likely to use drugs.

Illicit drug use among students had waned in the past decade.

Less than 4 per cent of students regularly smoked cannabis and less
than 1 per cent took other illegal drugs today, whereas 10per cent
were binge drinking in any week.

The researchers discovered the cost of drug testing would be "excessive".

The bill would range from $91million to randomly test urine samples
from 10 per cent of the school population three times a year to at
least $335million to collect and test saliva samples from every child
on an annual basis.

The council estimated taxpayers would be left with a
multi-billion-dollar bill if all Australian schools introduced random
drug testing on a weekly basis.

The report's principal author, Professor Anne Roche, said they had
concerns about the accuracy of these drug tests.

"Falsely accusing a child of illicit drug use could obviously have
negative legal and social impacts ... to say nothing of potential
psychological damage," Professor Roche said.

As part of the consultation process, the researchers received 33
submissions from specialists in the field and surveyed 284 members of
the public.