PANEL: RANDOM TESTING A USEFUL TOOL IN WAR ON DRUGS

WEST LONG BRANCH -- Random drug testing of students is not a panacea
in preventing substance abuse, but it is an effective weapon for
school administrators in the war on drugs, educators and experts said
Wednesday.

A six-hour-long conference -- held at Branches banquet hall on
Monmouth Road and sponsored by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's
Office and Prevention First -- brought together a bevy of authorities
on the issue.

New Jersey became the first state in 2005 to approve the use of
random drug testing in public schools for students involved in
extracurricular activities, over the objections of organizations such
as the American Civil Liberties Union.

Since then, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
has tested a random number of student athletes who qualify to compete
in state championship competitions.

In Monmouth County, Middletown, Colts Neck and Shore Regional high
schools are among those schools that conduct mandatory random drug
testing on potentially all students involved in extracurricular
activities, including non-athletes.

Ocean Township Superintendent of Schools Thomas M. Pagano said his
district will consider the same policy next year, after the township
has had a chance to implement planned sobriety tests at its school dances.

Kevin Jala, 17, and Dan Velez, 17, both Middletown High School North
seniors, are both enrolled in the random drug testing program though
neither has been tested so far, they told the conference.

Velez said that although some student athletes objected to the
testing at first, most were not bothered by the program and it has
cut down on substance abuse among students at Middletown North.

"They've stopped doing it," Velez said. "Because there's too much to
lose. Some of them are going on to colleges to play sports."

Jala said the testing that has taken place has been discreet -- the
only way a test becomes public knowledge is if the student tested
discusses the matter.

"There's no widespread rumors that get started," Jala said.

Middletown Interim Superintendent of Schools Karen Bilbao said
student surveys conducted last spring showed that 60 percent of
students were using alcohol or drugs while socializing with friends,
while 30 percent were allowed to drink to some degree in the presence
of their parents inside the privacy of the home.

Bilboa said this revelation called on the district to reassess its values.

"There was a culture of acceptance among students, and even among our
parents, of drug abuse," Bilboa said.

Colts Neck High School Principal Chris Steffner said Colts Neck could
expect to spend about $2,000 to $3,000 per year on the testing, which
is pretty typical of the cost statewide.

Steffner said there is widespread support on campus for the drug
testing program.

A positive drug test does not result in academic suspension, but it
does result in a suspension from the extracurricular the student is
participating in -- in Colts Neck for a week, in Middletown for 30
days -- and an immediate medical examination, drug addiction
counseling and whatever other help is deemed necessary.

Douglas S. Collier, a special agent with the federal Drug Enforcement
Agency, made a spirited presentation about the dangers of steroids,
which remain among a favorite illegal substance among both male and
female student athletes.

"Just because you take it doesn't mean you're going to get big,"
Collier said. "Why are we so concerned about our adolescents? Four
percent of 12th graders have reported using steroids at least once."