DRUGS, STUDENTS

Novi Should Reject Plan to Randomly Test Athletes

Novi Community Schools and parents in the district should reject a
proposal to randomly test high school athletes.

Mandatory drugs tests, even if sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court,
are an unwarranted invasion of privacy and a poor civics lesson for
students.

If the district approves the proposed policy for Novi High School, it
could logically extend the tests to homeroom officers, cheerleaders
and, for that matter, the entire student body. Athletes are no more
likely than any other group to use drugs or alcohol. They are probably
less likely to do so.

There's nothing inherently wrong with testing students who show clear
signs of using drugs or alcohol. But random testing demands no
indications. Neither is it especially effective. A recent University
of Michigan study found little difference in drug use among students
at schools with drug testing and those at schools without it.

Besides testing, the proposal, now before the school district's
athletic committee, calls for athletes to miss 25 percent of the
season if they are caught using drugs or alcohol -- even once. That
might be harsh, but at least that part of the plan directly links a
behavior to a consequence. Random tests do not. Mandatory testing
should be used only as a last resort to get people the help they need.

Schools and parents are right to stress about students using drugs or
alcohol. Education about the medical effects and legal consequences of
using are good ways to discourage experimentation with drugs.

Subjecting athletes to embarrassing urine drops could just discourage
students from the kind of healthy activities that make it less likely
that they will use alcohol, marijuana or cocaine.

The vast majority of schools rejected random drug testing after the
U.S. Supreme ruled in 2002 that it was constitutional. Novi should do
the same.