BEYOND DRUG TESTING

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey's proposal for voluntary drug testing
in schools is an unfortunate distraction from the many sober
recommendations in her otherwise sound substance abuse plan.

Although dueling studies exist on the efficacy of drug testing in
schools, the most extensive study, published in the Journal of School
Health in 2003, found no significant difference in rates of student
drug use between schools that test and those that don't. The idea is
all the rage in some circles, but pediatric and public health
associations generally oppose such testing for reasons ranging from
exposure to lawsuits to the weakening of trust between young people
and the important adults in their lives.

The rates of alcohol and illicit drug use among young people and
adults in Massachusetts are significantly higher than the national
average. Healey's report estimates that more than 500,000 individuals
in Massachusetts require treatment for substance abuse, but only
82,000 are receiving it. In nearly every part of the state, and in
every area of addiction, the demand for help outstrips supply. The
Romney administration has spoken forcefully in the past of the need
for more and better drug treatment and prevention programs. Yet budget
cuts have pared the number of publicly funded beds for detoxification
by more than half since 2003.

Healey's blueprint, fortunately, moves beyond rhetoric. She calls for
$9.1 million in supplemental funding for substance abuse treatment
programs, a necessary step for gaining access to an additional $14.5
million in federal matching grants. Drug treatment programs make
especially good fiscal sense, according to the report, when they
reduce hospital emergency room costs that are often borne by the state.

Healey points to many ways new funds could be used to good effect,
including afterschool programs for middle school students. Early drug
use among children in the 11-13 age group is often a predictor of
serious addiction to come. Healey, a criminologist, cites a
school-centered program called Casastart, which is designed to
identify preadolescents with high risk factors for drug use, as an
especially successful experiment in several pilot cities, including
Memphis and Seattle. The program employs an intensive case management
model that steers young people clear of delinquent peers. Healey's
recommendation for special high schools for young people who leave
treatment centers in need of maximum structure also has shown promise
elsewhere.

The lieutenant governor's pitch for in-school drug testing makes for
lively debate. But the best proposals -- ones that might actually
reduce levels of substance abuse -- are found behind the headlines.