SCHOOLS, DRUGS AND PRIVACY

Barrhead Composite high school took an extra measure in the battle
against drugs last week. 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 that 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 in recent years as
they search for better ways to keep students off drugs. St. Albert
schools, for instance, bring in RCMP sniffer dogs for random checks on
student lockers. Students and parents have to sign an agreement with
the school acknowledging that the checks occur.

Privacy Commissioner Frank Work issued a cautionary note to schools
this week asking them to think about privacy issues. We'd agree with
Work that random dog checks 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 it will not keep a record on file, says McElroy. He
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. "When you have the results, what do you do?"

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.