DRUG RISKS

Re "Prescription overdose," May 18

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy bears some
responsibility for the rise in prescription overdose deaths. It has
been pushing student drug tests without alerting schools and parents
to their downside: urinalysis only deters marijuana use because
synthetic pharmaceuticals exit the body quickly. This information is
readily available on the Internet. It's one of the reasons the
American Academy of Pediatrics opposes involuntary drug testing.
Urinalysis provides incentives for marijuana users to switch to harder drugs.

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington