BILL FOR DRUG-FREE PLEDGE FAILS LEGITIMACY TEST

Legislation Targets Tops Students For Drug Tests.

A 2.5 grade point average in a more demanding curriculum and a good college
entrance exam score aren't enough, says one South Louisiana lawmaker who
wants to add another requirement to the process of getting a state-paid
scholarship: passing a drug test.

Sen. Butch Gautreaux, D-Morgan City, has filed a bill that would require
all Tuition Opportunity Program for Students scholarship recipients to sign
a drug-free pledge, submit to a drug test and pass it before the start of
the 2004 fall semester.

For all the good intentions that may be behind Senate Bill 117, it stands
every chance of sending exactly the wrong message and achieving a great
deal of harm.

Should the state be in the business of supporting the educational endeavors
of students who use drugs? No, but neither should the state be in the
business of conducting a witch hunt. It's also worth questioning exactly
what the state would achieve by rooting out high academic achievers who
test positive for drug use and discontinuing their access to a better
education.

It requires a monumental leap of logic to assert that Senate Bill 117 would
have any profound effect in a student's decision-making process concerning
drug use. And, it's not beyond reason to consider that at least some of
those students relying on narcotics use as a crutch may be even more likely
to renew or increase their drug use, once they have been denied access to
higher education.

One of the primary mysteries behind Senate Bill 117 is its origin. Where
are the legitimate reports or believable accusations that there exists a
drug problem among exceptional students?

The TOPS scholarships are an expensive undertaking for the state, with a
price tag in the $102 million-a-year range for more than 39,000 students.
But, the state would be better off battling the problems that
unquestionably exist, instead of the ones manufactured out of thin air.