DEBATE RAGES OVER STUDENT DRUG TESTING

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Debate over drug testing students is vigorous as
more county school systems in West Virginia consider the possibility.

Franklin Crabtree believes random drug tests might discourage a high
school student from participation in sports or other after-school
activities, which could hurt their chances of getting into college.

Jack Wiseman says students should face consequences when they break the rules.

Anti-drug testing advocates like Crabtree, executive director for the
American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, say drug testing
high school students poses plenty of pitfalls that area educators
should consider.

Area school board members say the tests are simply meant to attack
the "menace" of drug use in schools. "It's pretty simple to me: They
follow the rules," said Wiseman, a Jackson County school board member.

The Jackson County Board of Education might soon join Cabell County
in drug testing students who drive to school or participate in sports
or other extracurricular activities.

Other West Virginia counties have other policies. Putnam County, for
instance, offers a voluntary drug-testing program that rewards
students with movie discounts and restaurant certificates for signing up.

"It sounds great on the face of it," said Marsha Rosenbaum of the
national Drug Policy Alliance. "What we all want, what we're all
striving for, is our teenagers to stay away from intoxicating substances."

The Drug Policy Alliance promotes policy alternatives to the drug war
that are grounded in science, health and human rights, according to
its Web site.

Rosenbaum said random tests create a cynicism in teenagers at a time
when they learn American civics. "This is anything but innocent until
proven guilty," she said.

She and Crabtree posed several arguments against student drug testing.

"Education is strapped for funds," Rosenbaum said. "We can't get
teachers because the salaries are too low." She asked why not put
funds for drug testing toward hiring strong school counselors
familiar with the issues that students face.

More after-school programs could also help, Rosenbaum said. Research
shows most high school students use drugs between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.,
when parents are at work, she said.

"What about really good drug education instead of spending the
dollars on a quick fix that may not even be a quick fix?" she asked.

Cabell County school board President Ted Barr expects the school
system's drug testing program to cost about $27,000 to $30,000 this
year. Tests will look for about 10 substances, which include
marijuana and alcohol. A single test averages about $27, he said.

Rosenbaum sees problems with testing for alcohol. "You could tie one
on Friday night or even Saturday night and it doesn't show up on [a
test] Monday," she said.

Last week, hundreds of students set to attend Huntington and Cabell
Midland high schools showed up at mandatory orientation for drug
testing. Students who drive to school, have a parking pass, play
sports or are involved in the band or other extracurricular
activities must submit to random testing.

Barr said several parents also voluntarily signed children up for
drug tests. Those are students who would otherwise be exempt because
they don't drive to school or get involved in school activities.

"All in all, it looks like that's a majority of the parents who are
backing it," Barr said. "I'd love to see us do a random testing of
all students, but state law prohibits it."

In 2009, Barr said middle school students would also be tested. The
testing is done by Sport Safe Testing Service, a company based in Powell, Ohio.

Rosenbaum said drug testing erodes relationships between parents and
children and teachers and students.

"For some kids, the idea of having an invasive procedure is horribly
embarrassing," she said. "The reality is that the cheapest way to do
this continues to be a urine test."

She said if a student takes an antidepressant, or a prescription drug
like Ritalin, they might be embarrassed that the information would be revealed.

In Jackson County, Wiseman said parents, the coach, the principal and
the student would know about the alleged drug use. For first
offenders, the intention is to offer help, and not severely punish or
kick a student-athlete off the team, Wiseman said.

Jackson County officials suspect mostly marijuana use at Ripley and
Ravenswood high schools, Wiseman said. Still, a few Jackson students
have died from drug overdoses in recent years, he said.

"When we talk about saving one kid, it's worth it," he said.

Wiseman expects the county will also drug test students who
participate in Future Farmers of America and other activities.

"It's basically suspicion-less search, is what it boils down to,"
Crabtree said. "There's a coercive element to it that's really objectionable."

If students figure out which drugs their peers get caught using, they
might switch to using another drug, Rosenbaum said.

"You can never test the smorgasbord of what is available to a kid,"
Crabtree said.

Barr, a former police officer and sheriff, disagrees with critics.

He said in the 1800s, a group of people argued that the first
lifeboats on ocean liners would give captains a false sense of security.

"They said the same thing about fingerprints and everything else," he
said. "All those things can be proven to the contrary, I believe."

Barr said he is very proud to contribute to a policy that will help
"control a menace that is destroying our society." Cabell students
will be drug tested starting this fall. He first pushed for testing
about 18 months ago, after a meeting where eight students faced
expulsion for drug-related reasons.

"Here's the good thing: It gives a kid a chance to save face," Barr
said about peer pressure. "It gives that student that chance to say
no, without losing face, so to speak."

Likewise, Wiseman does not take much stock in the arguments against
student drug tests.

"I think we've got such a problem that those things don't bother me,"
he said. Jackson school board members will vote this month on whether
to approve random testing for the fall.

Rosenbaum cited a 2003 University of Michigan study that found
virtually no difference in rates of teen drug use between schools
with drug testing programs and those without.

"If you're interested in tackling a complex issue, you have to have
complex solutions," she said.