STUDENT DRUG TESTING IS MOOT ISSUE IF THERE'S NO REAL SOLUTION

Oh, please, let's not let student drug testing become the hot button Van Cam
distraction of this legislative session.

The session just started Wednesday and already there's discussion of random
drug testing for all students in public schools, mandatory drug testing for
student athletes and for students suspected by teachers or parents to be
using drugs.

What's so frustrating about all this is that there's a difference between
good intention and good policy. How wonderful that there's a real desire
among lawmakers to make a difference.

However, the real problem in our schools is not identifying who's using and
who's not. The real problem is that there still is not enough room in
treatment programs and not enough investment in prevention programs. Any
state money spent to combat the scourge of drugs in our community should go
first to those areas, not to paying to send hair samples to a lab.

So what if a student tests positive for drug use? What then? Does the kid
get signed up for treatment? Where? Waiting lists only add to the
frustration. What is a kid supposed to do while waiting to be treated?

Does the kid get kicked off the football team for a dirty test? Great. Now
he has more time on his hands to get loaded. For lots of kids, the one thing
that will keep them from using, keep them from falling, is football or band
or drama class or surf club or whatever. Take that away and you cut off
their lifeline.

A year ago, I got to hear former Olympic boxer Brian Viloria address a
packed house of teenagers at an antidrug event held in the Farrington High
auditorium. He talked about growing up in Waipahu and the lure of drugs and
thuggery. "The gym was my antidrug," he told them. "I was too busy training
to get into trouble."

Truer words were never spoken.

If the rallying cry in the Capitol and in our community is to rid our
schools of drugs, great. Wonderful. About time. But let's focus on what's
really gonna' make it happen.

Give the schools the funding they need to fulfill their primary mission: to
give our kids a solid education. Having a good grasp on reading, writing and
math goes pretty far to keep kids straight.

Pay for drug treatment programs. Period. No sense testing if there's no help
for a kid who tests positive.

That's what our legislators can do.

What you can do -- you, you reading this right now -- goes far beyond
lobbying your representative for more money for schools.

The best prevention, the best intervention, is long-term interaction with a
caring, clear-thinking adult. Sometimes, that's not mom or dad. Sometimes
it's teacher or sensei or coach or kumu or tutu.

You want something to be done about drug use among kids? Volunteer at your
nearest school, library, community center, or church. Coach a team. Teach a
craft. Read a book. Do a lecture demonstration on how to make your
world-famous mango lychee cupcakes. Whatever.

But let's not waste time debating whether to test kids for drug use when we
haven't got the "what then?" taken care of yet.