RANDOM SCHOOL DRUG TESTS MAY NOT BE SO COOL

My first experience of smoking cannabis took place in the communal
lavatories at school, at the instigation of an older boy who thought he was
cool.

It was an experience which began a thankfully brief chapter in my life in
which we experimented with a variety of substances, ranging from glue
through to LSD.

This foolishness, which I hasten to add I have never since repeated, led to
various forms of delinquent behaviour and caused great hurt to my family,
until I finally saw the light and gave up what was rapidly becoming a
dangerous pastime.

Several of my compatriots went on to harder drugs and at least two went
early to their graves, while a third fried his brain so badly he has never
worked, married or enjoyed any of the pleasures of normal life.

So when I read that schools in the UK may be given the power to conduct
random drug tests on pupils, I at first thought it might be a good idea, to
combat the playground drug culture that is prevalent in some areas of Britain.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure and if older
children in school are taking drugs and handing them around to others, then
the dangers are obvious.

But should teachers, or school administrators, have power that goes beyond
that even of the law by which the country's police must abide ?

Police are not allowed to enforce random blood tests on members of the
public, simply on suspicion that they may have at some time taken some sort
of illegal narcotic.

To allow this in schools would be a serious erosion of civil rights and,
though the overall intention is good, could easily be abused.

It could also result in children's lives being blighted forever by
expulsion from school or prosecution for what may have been a single
indiscretion instigated by curiosity.

Better training and staffing levels in schools would enable teachers and
administrators to be more vigilant and to detect those who may be taking or
dealing in drugs.

Education is the best preventive measure of all and children need to be
taught up front the dangers inherent in some of the temptations that will
come their way, whether it is sex, drinking or drugs.

There will always be some who despite knowing the risk will still err, but
they would most likely be in the minority.