LESSON IN DRUG TESTING

WHILE school districts in northwest Ohio dabble their toes in the
murky waters of drug testing for students, a school in southern
England has dived right in. That has caught the eye of Washington,
with the White House talking of testing as a "public health measure."

The Abbey School, in the southern England town of Faversham, has
instituted a remarkably broad policy. Children, some as young as 11,
are subject to random drug tests for heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.
So far, nearly 600 students have been tested, and only one has tested
positive - for marijuana.

That's a remarkable result, and we wonder whether a similar program
at other schools in that country, or here, would replicate such a
uniformly drug-free student body.

There are some safeguards in the UK testing program: Parents must
give their approval, and students can refuse to take the test. Of
course, if they just say no to testing they have to go through a
counseling session - the same action taken if a student tests positive.

No disciplinary action is taken for a positive test, which would seem
in many ways to rather defeat the purpose. If there's no penalty for
proven drug use, then what's the message? It would seem to be: We've
caught you, but never mind.

Punishment only kicks in if a student is in possession of, dealing,
or under the influence of drugs.

Drug testing of students, whether solely those in extracurricular and
athletic programs, or all in the student body, is an ethical and
legal minefield. The British civil rights group known as Liberty
objects to the tests because students could become suspects even if
they refuse to take the test on principle, not from fear of a positive result.

The American Civil Liberties Union also argues against testing on the
basis of accuracy and the view that tests violate students' rights.

At The Abbey School, 86 percent of parents of the 960 pupils agreed
to the testing, which strongly suggests that they don't have as much
an objection to it as those who would argue for their children's
civil rights. Perhaps parents are more worried about the youngsters'
health and future.

Other schools in the English county of Kent, where Faversham is
located, will be deciding this month whether to institute testing,
and it would not be surprising if a significant majority do so.

It may be that such testing is more palatable in England, where
people appear to view with a greater degree of equanimity such
intrusions into privacy as security cameras that track their vehicles
on city streets and highways, and follow their strolls down city streets.

In this country, testing of students continues to be viewed with more
suspicion, and there are obvious issues of arbitrary and overzealous
implementation or abuse of such a policy.

But the move to expand drug testing from the workplace and
professional sports into colleges and schools is gaining momentum.
And its proponents may be looking at experiments like that at The
Abbey School as a guide to the future.