A DEPLORABLE DRUG TEST

Take a look around your local high school. That cheerleader, the head of
the chorus, or that member of the debate club: Isn't it time the kids in
after-school activities were drug tested?

If this approach sounds crazy, then you should be worried about a case
before the U.S. Supreme Court. An Oklahoma school district wants to test
all students in competitive extracurricular groups in the name of stamping
out drugs.

Never mind that such activities attract students who are the least likely
to be dopers. Don't dwell on the dehumanizing effects of urine testing of
youngsters. Forget the mad-rush mentality to rein in a problem that may not
exist.

In broader terms, the wholesale drug testing goes against the notion of
individual rights. The Fourth Amendment bars unreasonable searches and
seizures, and the high school drug tests surely fail this test. According
to the proposed policy, it's not the groggy, red-eyed kid who should be
examined, it's everyone in the school band.

Equally disturbing was the pro-testing mind-set of the high court shown
during oral arguments last week. With drug use rising, shouldn't a school
board be allowed a free hand?, the justices asked.

A prior high court ruling allowed drug screening for athletes, and testing
other kids in after-school activities wasn't any different, several
justices suggested. Besides, high school students are minors, not entitled
to adult privacy rights, it was argued.

If a majority of the Supreme Court agrees with these contentions, it could
have dangerous consequences. In the name of drugs -- or possibly other
objectionable activities -- schools can round up everyone to find the few.

There is a place for drug testing. Police, pilots or other workers may be
candidates. But every kid who wants to compete in an after-school team or
group? Policymakers should just say no to the idea.