END ABUSE WITH RANDOM DRUG TESTS

Drugs of abuse are indeed killing far too many children and young adults,
and all statistics point that the problem is getting worse, not better. Two
20-year olds from Hopkinton died from heroin overdoses this summer alone.
In addition to higher usage rates for many drug types -- 99 percent of the
drug abuses today include marijuana, cocaine, opiates (includes heroin,
morphine, oxycotin, etc.), and methamphetamines (includes meth, and
ecstasy, among others) -- the heightened broard security at our borders
resulting form 9/11 has resulted in dramatically increased marijuana
prices, and alternatively, an influx of inexpensive heroin.

In fact, heroin can be purchased for the same price, or even less than
marijuana.

There is no excuse for inaction on the part of parents, schools, and
government as there is at least one proven solution that would dramatically
reduce drug abuse: on-site random drug testing.

Ask any law officer who knows the facts about drug use and they will tell
you that Project DARE was/is a failure, thus education itself is not a
solution. Cutting off drug supply, has also proven equally ineffective. The
Only proven deterrent to drugs is random drug testing. Random testing has
proven to reduce drug use by a factor of three to one. It costs about $20
per test, and can be done in the schools, on-site, in minutes, and with
newer technology using oral fluids, not urine collection. Why isn't it
being done? Ignorant people shout that random drug testing would create an
atmosphere of mistrust in the schools, or drug testing is a violation of
civil rights.

The reality is that most children and parents have no issue with drug
testing, if it's done in a fair equitable and reasonable manner. This
Translates into (1) Test everyone in the school, students, teachers, staff,
(2) promote that drug testing is a service to help, not punish and (3),
test on a truly random basis or for reasonable cause. Remember, parents,
statistics show that it takes 3.5 to 4 years on average for a parent to
learn that their child is on drugs.

Do you think that is fast enough to save a life?