DRUG TESTING STUDENTS A COSTLY, UNJUSTIFIED EXPENSE

When U.S. Drug Czar John Walters stopped by recently, he praised the
Polk County school system for testing student athletes for drug use.

"Drug testing brings truth to the problem of drug abuse," Walters
told us.

That may be true. George Jenkins High School in Lakeland tested
athletes from 1996 until 2000 and recorded a significant drop in drug
use. In 2001, the year after testing stopped, drug use climbed, local
surveys showed.

Indeed, there is an argument that student athletes in Polk who may
have been experimenting with drugs did stop out of fear of the
consequences of being caught: They could lose their spot on the team.

But there's another side too. Students who use drugs could decide to
quit the team rather than give up their high. And that would be a
shame because these are the very students that sports can help.

Parental Responsibility

We don't believe drug testing in schools is worth the price. It may be
legal, as the U.S. Supreme Court has said, but it's invasive and expensive.

Besides, as we have argued before, it's the responsibility of parents,
more than schools, to be watchful of their children's health and
behavior. While some parents may want to relinquish these duties,
others have testified in court that drug-testing usurps their
authority and responsibility for their children.

Hillsborough's school system has rightfully avoided implementing a
drug testing program because of the many questions it raises.

What happens to the students who test positive? Participation in
organized athletics is the only reason some teenagers stay in school
and off the streets. And after a drug user is identified, what is the
school's responsibility to provide treatment? Who pays for that?

Federal Dollars Better Spent

It's true that between April and June, Polk County tested more than
500 athletes, and only two tested positive for marijuana. And for
those who showed traces of amphetamines in their systems, it turned
out they were taking prescription medications.

But Polk paid for the testing with a $235,000, three-year federal
grant. Without federal tax dollars, more urban school districts with
bountiful student populations could not afford the testing program.

If any money is to be spent, we should invest in drug-prevention
programs and after-school activities that keep kids actively engaged
during the peak drug-using hours, 3 to 6 p.m.

That's how we keep from losing our kids to the streets.