THE TIME ISN'T RIGHT FOR EVANS' DRUG-TESTING PROPOSAL

Few communities force elected officials to submit to drug tests. But
a number of cities have explored the possibility, usually in the wake
of drug scandals involving local leaders.

More often than not, the proposals are soundly rejected, for two
reasons: A strong case can be made that the mandatory drug testing of
officials violates the Fourth Amendment's ban of unreasonable
searches and seizures. And policies that encourage officials to get
tested on a voluntary basis can be a charade that wastes time and tax dollars.

Councilman Charles Evans' recent suggestion that Fayetteville begin
testing all council members for illegal drug use drew similar
criticism. It is unlikely that the proposal will get support at the
council's Jan. 7 work session. Evans has good intentions. The
District 2 representative has always been candid about his past. He
is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, and in 1992 he pleaded
guilty to two counts of embezzlement and one count of felony
possession of cocaine.

He stopped using drugs and alcohol in 2001, four years before taking
office. And today, at least some of his supporters view the checkered
past as a plus, proof Evans can relate to his most down-and-out
constituents, a sign he has worked hard to get where he is.

But there are also plenty of people who question his sobriety. A
recent round of rumors that he might have relapsed into drug abuse
prompted Evans to take a drug test to prove he is clean. Now he wants
the rest of the council to do the same.

There are times when drug-testing policies for officials make sense.
Last year, council members in Burbank, Calif. began voluntarily
submitting to random drug and alcohol testing after a former
councilwoman was convicted of drug possession and child endangerment.
Public support for the measure was overwhelming, and the policy
helped the scandal-weary town move forward. There is no such outcry
in Fayetteville. Any suspicion of drug use by officeholders can be
handled through law enforcement methods already in place. Evans is in
a tough spot. He may spend the remainder of his career trying to
prove he is sober. But the other council members don't have a
responsibility to help him do it. The council has pressing issues in
the new year. Drug testing shouldn't become an unnecessary distraction.