GOVERNOR HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT STUDENT DRUG TESTING

DES MOINES - Iowa lawmakers want to allow schools to conduct random drug
tests on students who take part in extracurricular activities.

Gov. Tom Vilsack, who has not ruled out support for such a plan, has
expressed concerns about privacy and the reliability of the tests.

"While I undertand the motivation behind the program, I want to make sure
there are privacy protections," he said at his weekly press conference.

The governor said he wants to be sure children are not placed in
compromising positions or that adults doing the testing aren't faced with
having claims of fondling children lodged against them if a test is positive.

Vilsack said there would need to be a high degree of accountability for the
results and he said he wanted to be sure the reputations of children are
protected from false positive results.

"Many schools are asking for the opportunity to make sure their schools are
drug free," Vilsack said. "We need to explore ways to do this."

Sen. Steve King, R-Kiron, has challenged Vilsack's criticism.

"I am disappointed that the governor has expressed skepticism about the
drug testing proposal for students that is currently under consideration in
the Legislature," King said. "I believe we have an obligation to the
families of Iowa to fight drugs with every weapon at hand."

He said by looking for drug use when it first begins, treatment can be
started before addiction occurs.

"If the governor shares my concern about the safety and security of our
children, and I believe he does, he should support this measure," King
said. "I believe it is our responsibility to make sure our kids have a
safe, drug-free environment in which to learn, and if random testing helps
stamp out drug abuse, I'm for it."

Vilsack also expressed concern about false positives that might occur as
the result of eating a "poppy seed bagel for breakfast."

King said, however, the confirmation tests are done on gas chromatography
mass spectrometry (GC/MS) technology so there is "virtually no chance of
false positives."

King said a "modesty" feature has been added to the bill that would allow
only adults of the same sex as the child to observe the tests and that the
inclusion of a medical review officer to examine all positive results will
clarify whether a student has been using a drug or has a legitimate reason
for testing positive.

He recently toured the state laboratory where he said he learned there is
no margin for error in the GC/MS technology. The labs using that equipment
are certified and approved by the Iowa Department of Public Health which
sends blind samples to the labs every month.

One incorrect result on a blind sample results in the lab losing its
certification, King said.

"Random testing is economical because the threat is there that everyone
could be tested," said King. "That's economical on a per-pupil basis."

While only a few businesses are using the state's current workplace random
drug testing bill, it has been successful, King said.

One company which had 75 employees believed there was a problem involving
about 10 employees who appeared to be exchanging large amounts of cash and
using meth.

King said the company established a drug and alcohol testing policy. Eight
of the 10 suspected drug users refused to take the test and the other two
walked off the job.

Every other person at the company took the test and passed, King said.