U.S. OFFICIAL BACKS AT-SCHOOL DRUG TESTS

The implementation of drug testing in schools is a key tactic in
fighting drug abuse among children, a top official told a group of law
enforcement agencies Wednesday in San Antonio.

Mary Ann Solberg, deputy director for the Office of National Drug
Control Policy, touted the controversial measure during a speech
praising the efforts of Drug Abuse Resistance Education officers at
their annual national conference.

"It's a way to deter drug use by giving kids a reason to say 'no,'"
Solberg said in an interview.

The recommendation has sparked debate and met resistance in some
school districts because of privacy and civil rights concerns.

Solberg said drug testing is positive when it doesn't unfairly single
out the child.

"Student drug testing must be confidential and it must be nonpunitive
so there is never an attempt to identify a student as a drug user,"
she said. "As a matter of fact, only one or two people in the school
should know whether a child did not pass a test."

But the decision ultimately is up to each school district, and many do
include punishments for positive drug tests.

Recently, the New Braunfels School District delayed the approval of a
drug-testing policy because of disagreements over punishments.

Privacy concerns worry some parents, but Jim Harrington, director of
the Austin-based Texas Civil Rights Project, said the Supreme Court
has upheld the right to conduct such tests.

"To a large extent, it's permissible under the law," he said. "But
whether it's a good policy is another question."

Harrington pointed out drug tests can cost more than $40 per
student.

In addition, Harrington said, "The biggest school drug problem is
alcohol, and (a drug test) doesn't test for that."

But Solberg said the important thing is to identify drug users and
addicts in schools to get them help immediately.

"It allows a school district to identify those kids who are just
starting to use, so that counselors or parents can intervene," Solberg
said. "Often, that's all it takes."

Solberg spoke on the opening day of the annual DARE conference, where
more than 2,500 law enforcement officers from all 50 states and
several countries gathered for training in drug abuse prevention in
schools.