LETTER OF THE WEEK

FALSE POSITIVES

By Redford Givens

A major concern about drug testing is the fact that 65 prescription
and over the counter medications produce false positive results. If
someone takes Advil, Nuprin, Motrin, Excedrin IB (Ibuprofen), Aleve
(Naproxen), has a Kidney infection, Diabetes or Liver Disease there
could be a false positive for marijuana. Nyquil, Contact, Sudafed,
Allerest, Tavist-D, Dimetapp, Phenegan-D, Robitussin Cold and Flu,
Vicks Nyquil (Ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, propylephedrine,
phenylephrine, or desoxyephedrine) create erroneous indications for
amphetamines. Poppy Seeds, Tylenol with codeine, Cough suppressants
with Dextromethorphan (DXM), and most prescription pain medications
produce a false positive for Heroin use.

Random drug testing has not been proven to deter drug use. In 2003,
the National Institute on Drug Abuse funded the largest study ever
conducted on the topic. Researchers found no differences in illegal
drug use among students in schools that tested and those that did not.

Incidentally, using a $4 drug test is about as effective as using a
peashooter to hunt elephants, the false positive rate will be
enormous. But what do the Board of Trustees care about how many kids
they wreck so long as they can posture as drug crusaders. A few
expensive law suits because of false positives will give Amador
County Trustees some new financial problems to wrestle with.

While they held office, Peter Bensinger (former DEA head), Robert L
Dupont (former drug czar) and Carlton Turner (former drug czar)
shamelessly promoted drug testing as the solution to drug
problems. Later, they joined together to form Bensinger, Dupont &
Associates, the world's largest drug testing company, to cash in on
the drug testing laws they wrote. Bensinger, Dupont & Associates
reaps a fortune for their useless drug testing schemes.

The only beneficiaries of drug testing are the makers of the tests.

Redford Givens, webmaster, DRCNet Online Library of Drug Policy

Pubdate: Fri, 18 Apr 2008

Source: Ledger Dispatch (Jackson, CA)