PRIVACY DEFEAT

Teens' right to privacy does not seem to be high on the U.S. Supreme
Court's list of constitutional protections.

Last week, the court ruled that drug tests are an acceptable means in
public schools to screen students in extracurricular activities such as
band, football or the debate team.

The justices decided 5-4 that safety in the schools is more important than
privacy, and that drug tests in after-school programs are a reasonable way
to detect and deter use of illicit substances.

We don't agree. However well-meaning, such tests trample on the presumption
of innocence and can make teens feel like criminal suspects when they have
done nothing wrong.

And why single out the students in extracurricular activities? Following
the ruling's faulty logic, shouldn't every student in a public school be
tested?

No one should discount the serious dangers that drugs pose to our youth.
But the best way to address the problem is through education, not selective
testing.

Fortunately, Brevard County does not require the drug testing of students
in applying for extracurricular activities, and should not start.