NORML AIMS TO MAKE EDUCATORS TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

Members Say In-School Drug Tests Violates Students' Civil Liberties

Members of the UCF chapter of the National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws are taking a stand at the Rosen Centre Hotel
Thursday while the site hosts a regional student drug-testing summit.

The event, held by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, takes
place at 8:30 a.m. and is intended to convince local educators that
drug testing high school students will better serve the environment
in public schools. NORML will argue, however, that national
statistics have shown that this process does nothing to deter drug
use and is nothing more than a waste of money.

"My opinion on the event going into it is that it's a waste of tax
payers' money," said Justin Martineau, former president of the UCF
chapter of NORML. "They have these symposiums with their so-called
experts in order to convince local educators and administrators why
it's a good idea to drug test. Obviously statistics show that when it
comes to cost-effectiveness it's a total failure. When it comes to
actual drugs determined, it's a total failure."

Martineau and his fellow members hope to offer a better perspective
from the demographic in question and will aim to convince the
educational decision-makers in attendance to weigh both sides of the
argument and the potential circumstances involved with implementing
random drug-testing programs in public high schools.

"We're going to the summit as students and community members to state
our side and make our point of view known to the general community,
seeing as the ONDCP isn't going to provide that perspective to the
community," Martineau said.

UCF NORML director of public relations Christina Kimball said she
believes that the obligation of drug testing and dealing with
possible addiction belongs within the students' families.

"The purpose is to get the other side of the story," Kimball said of
NORML's attendance at Thursday's summit. "The ONDCP is trying to push
for student drug-testing at the summit and to convince these schools
to take these grants. It's against civil liberties and it should be
put in the hands of the parents and not the school system."

The Orlando summit is the first of four events to be held nationwide.
Between February and May, summits will also be held in California,
Virginia and Wisconsin. The ONDCP says that the summits will merely
be used to promote discussion and deliver information to school
officials in order to show that the process could help curb drug use
among high school students.

"Every week through media reports and communities, we are hearing of
more and more schools that have decided to implement random student
drug testing into their schools as a positive and powerful drug
prevention tool," ONDCP Director John Walters said on the
organization's Web site. "Fewer programs deliver clearer results in
helping youth turn away from the destructive behavior of drug use and
addiction. While teen drug use is down 19 percent over the last four
years, we must continue to work in our communities, schools, and
homes to strengthen prevention programs."

UCF NORML members disagree, though, as they believe that random drug
testing is unfair and, while it identifies drug users, there are
better alternatives that are more within students' rights.

"According to the ONDCP, the summits are the best place for the
people interested in the subject to get their information," Martineau
said. "However, the information is conducted by government groups or
other groups under the government's employment. It really gets down
to the facts. It costs too much and it doesn't deter high school drug
use. You could get personal statements from students or you could
look at the numbers."

Martineau added that any school could ask for the funding and the
ONDCP would likely give it away, but it could be put to much better
use, including the actual war on drugs.

"Student testing is probably the biggest money pit when it comes to
the war on drugs," Martineau said. "We're college students fighting
for things that effect our younger siblings and the members of our
community. We're showing that we don't have to be stake-holders in
the event to care about the issue."

Kimball believes that more emphasis needs to be placed on the
controversy these summits are causing and that the community and
educators need to be aware of the ongoing argument for both sides.

"We're hoping to create an awareness about that and to get out there
and hopefully let the public know there is controversy and it's not
just a black and white issue," Kimball said.

The ONDCP held eight similar summits in 2005 and has partitioned $7.2
million in Federal grants to support the creation and stability of
drug abuse programs in high schools. According to the site, 55 grants
were awarded to create drug-testing programs in 352 schools last year.

The purpose of the program, according to the ONDCP, is not to punish
students who fail drug tests. Instead, the organization hopes the
testing will help treat students who fall victim to drug abuse and
suffer from the destructive and addictive nature of drugs.

NORML members believe, though, that random drug-testing can't ever be
truly fair and it could be used by educators to target students with
questionable reputations. Martineau also believes that random
drug-testing can be perceived as an act of racism or to place unfair
blame on schools populated by students in lower income brackets.

"It's another way of continuing the racism in the drug war,"
Martineau said. "Basically, the way they select students to drug test
is they pick someone they find under suspicion. What's to say a
person is suspicious? Is that person acting erratically? Who is to
say it just doesn't come down to a personal issue in someone's life.
To use that to invade someone's privacy and drug test is way off base."

Kimball added that not only do the members of NORML feel there is
discrimination in the war on drugs, but the actual process serves as
a greater injustice in creating and promoting equality among high
school students. She also said that the money could be put to better
use for educational purposes.

"It's more quietly discriminatory," Kimball said. "There's already
discrimination in the drug war and marijuana prohibition. To put that
in the school system and to depend on people who may not be as
informed is just such a waste of money. Why not put that money into
hiring more teachers or doing more productive things?"

Martineau said that the testing will cause embarrassment as students
who use drugs are identified and that the entire process is
discriminatory. Above all else, he believes that random drug testing
causes more harm than it solves problems.

"It doesn't stop someone from using drugs in the first place," Martineau said.