PROTECTING STUDENTS FROM DRUGS

Barrhead Composite High School took an extra measure in the battle against
drugs last month: It handed out two drug-testing kits to families with
teens suspected of having drug problems.

The novel strategy serves two purposes, says principal Kerry McElroy. It's
a deterrent to students who now know the school will back up its concerns
about a student suspected of having a drug problem. And it gives parents
another way to determine the truth about their child's behaviour.

But does the distribution of test kits also risk invading a student's
privacy? Could a student get unfairly labelled if word got out he took the
test? Or is this well-intentioned strategy a legitimate tool for schools
carrying out their responsibility to keep kids safe?

Schools have been adopting more aggressive tactics as they search for
better ways to keep students off drugs. St. Albert schools, for instance,
bring in sniffer dogs for random checks on student lockers. Students and
parents have to sign an agreement with the school acknowledging that the
checks occur.

Alberta Privacy Commissioner Frank Work issued a cautionary note to schools
asking them to think about privacy issues. We'd agree that random checks
with drug-sniffing dogs go too far. They're uncomfortably close to fishing
expeditions police would not be allowed to carry out on adults.

As for drug tests, Work rightly warns against a school administering a drug
test or keeping the results on record. Any official record would then be
subject to freedom of information laws. Of course, it's not likely
information would be released with names attached. But would a school want
it known how many drug tests were administered and passed or failed?

In Barrhead, the school does not want to know the results of the test it
sends home and will not keep a record on file. Mr. McElroy points out the
test can be useful when a school is caught between concerned parents and a
teenager who hides or denies a drug problem. "We're backing the parents;
that's the intent."

Barrhead's policy deals with most privacy concerns. Still, it makes one
uneasy when schools start handing out testing kits. There's a difficult
line between invading a student's privacy and steps to protect a minor from
harm. Barrhead should monitor its strategy carefully to see if it leads to
unfair labelling of some students.

In reality, tests have a limited role to play in helping young people deal
with a drug problem. "Like anything, the test is just a starting point,"
says Marilyn Mitchell of the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission.

Mitchell says that when asked, teenagers make it clear: Close involvement
with their parents and good connections with their school are the best
protection against drug problems.