FORSYTH DRUG TESTING POLICY SEEMS FAIR AND JUST

Melvin Lawrence, a Forsyth City Council member who flunked a routine
random drug test, may be the victim of a false positive reading. He
insists he has never used cocaine. But his claim that the city has no
authority to test him won't fly.

Lawrence tested positive for cocaine in a random city-required
urinalysis March 21. On March 28, he learned he'd flunked and promptly
submitted to two independent tests, passing both. But experts say
cocaine can be out of the body within a couple of days, and on April
11, Lawrence was notified of a disciplinary hearing by council to take
place two days later. He sued and got an order banning the hearing
until Sunday.

Since 1996, Forsyth elected officials have been subject to random drug
tests; council had amended a 1990 ordinance requiring city employees
to undergo random drug screening. Lawrence, elected this past
November, did not vote on the policy in 1996, but must have been aware
of it. By taking office he accepted that condition of office.

It is an appropriate policy. It's only fair that those responsible to
the voters set as high a standard for themselves as they do for hired
public employees.

Further, it does not operate arbitrarily or unfairly: At the
disciplinary hearing council could hold him disqualified to serve and
kick him out, but it need not. Circumstances, his other tests and
other factors would be considered.

Many governments, like most businesses, take use of illegal drugs very
seriously and make their employees subject to drug testing. It would
send the wrong message and would set an unfortunate precedent for all
of them to buy the argument by Lawrence's lawyer that he shouldn't be
subject to testing.