TEENS TURNED OFF BY DRUG-SEARCH RULING

Halifax high-school students don't mind a new high court ruling that allows
teachers to pat them down for weapons, but they don't think the same law
should apply to most drug searches.

A Halifax County teenager went to the Supreme Court of Canada to argue
George P. Vanier junior high school vice-principal Michael Cadue violated
his right to privacy when he searched him during a school dance and found
marijuana hidden in his sock. The court, in an 8-1 decision, said teachers
and principals must have flexibility to use reasonable searches to enforce
school rules.

"If there was someone with a gun at school, I'd like them searching that
person," said Queen Elizabeth High School student Mike Stewart. "Maybe a
big knife in my back pocket will influence the way I behave, but having a
gram of pot won't."

The 17-year-old resents the decision that will allow teachers to go through
his knapsack or pockets for drugs.

"If a cop on the street was to ask me to look in my bag (without a warrant)
I wouldn't let him," said Stewart. "It doesn't seem fair to me."

Shambhala Middle School student Tim Charles said teachers should be allowed
to search for knives and hard drugs such as crack cocaine or heroin. But he
thinks they should get proper police training beforehand.

The 17-year-old recalled a recent fight he witnessed outside QEH. While
nobody was hurt, he said it had the potential to result in serious injury.

"It got turned into a knife fight just because one of the students had a
knife," said Charles. "When someone has a weapon, their ego goes up, and
they suddenly have this passport to inflict pain on people."

QEH student Dave Ito said he's seen police come into his school, but never
to conduct a search. The 17-year-old said he finds the ruling that allows
teachers to search students for drugs "disturbing."

"It's not really going to affect me much because I don't carry anything of
that nature," said Ito. "I think it would be all right to search students
as long as they only confiscate weapons."

If a search is fruitless, teachers should apologize, said QEH student Steve
Christie.

"If it was to happen to me, I'd be pretty cheesed off," said the
16-year-old.

Checked-by: derek rea