DRUG TESTING OPPONENT SAYS SCHOOLS SHOULD HEAR BOTH SIDES

Tom Angell said the Rowan-Salisbury School System has every right to
bring in a person who supports random drug testing of students to
speak with administrators and principals.

But Angell, communications director for the Washington, D.C.-based
Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said school officials owe the
system and its students a chance to hear from someone with a different
point of view.

"If they're really interested, they'll get someone with an opposing
stance rather than just hear a one-sided viewpoint from a person who
stands to profit from drug testing," Angell said.

He was referring to Bill Judge, director of Laws in Hand Informational
Services of Oak Park, Ill., who spoke to members of the
Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education on Monday night.

On Tuesday, Judge repeated his talk to school system principals. He
told both groups he supports random drug testing of students.

That's no surprise, Angell said.

Judge and others in the field receive much of their funding from the
Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association, whose members profit
from the ever-growing popularity of random drug testing of students,
Angell said..

"There's a widespread monetary interest in these programs," Angell
said. "A good school system gets more than one side of the argument
before implementing them."

Angell said his organization doesn't any any way condone illegal drug
use among students.

He said Students for Sensible Drug Policy has chapters on 115 college
and high school campuses across the U.S..

Angell said he and others involved in the organization fight a growing
tendency among school administrators to believe a student is guilty of
illegal drug use unless proven otherwise.

Besides, he said, random drug testing is a waste of time and money.

Angell said such testing doesn't deter drug use, the opposite of Judge's
opinion.

Both men cited studies to back their claims. Judge referred to a drug
testing survey completed in Indiana that involved 83 high schools.

He said the study showed students are more likely to graduate and
score better on end-of-grade testing when their school implements a
random drug testing policy.

Judge said the study also indicates the number of students
participating in extra-curricular activities increases when students
-- through their participation -- make themselves available for random
drug testing.

But Angell argued that those surveys cited by Judge are flawed. Angell
referred to a 2003 University of Michigan study that showed student
drug testing is not an effective means of reducing drug use.

"Plain and simple, drug testing doesn't work," Angell said.

He said drug testing often harms the fragile bond between students and
teachers, with teachers stationed outside bathroom stalls listening
for the sound of a student urinating as part of a drug test.

"It destroys the very relationship of trust that we rely upon," Angell
said.

When he addressed local school administrators earlier this week, Judge
said he doesn't support urine samples for random drug testing.

He told administrators and principals that the method of drug testing
he most supports is saliva testing.

Judge said he also promotes voluntary random drug testing, encouraging
students to sign up for tests. He said students can't sue over
something for which they've volunteered.

Obviously, Judge and Angell are worlds apart when it comes to agreeing
on the merits of random drug testing of students.

Whereas Angell said any money put toward such a program is wasted by
the school system, Judge countered that civic clubs often agree to
fund the programs, which typically don't cost more than $3,000 per
year per school.

Members of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education haven't voted on the
question of implementing a county-wide drug-testing policy.

They're likely to consider the matter in months to
come.

Angell said he just asks that board members make an intelligent
decision.

He said he or someone else from Students for Sensible Drug Policy
would be glad to discuss the matter with Rowan-Salisbury school
officials if they were offered a free trip as Judge was.

"As financially strapped as schools are these days, they don't need to
throw their money down the drain for a worthless cause," Angell said.