AGAINST DRUG TESTING

Although I have not heard all the details of President Bush's $23
million proposal for drug testing in schools, I know enough to
disagree, for many reasons. I think the testing will cause many
disruptions and total chaos. First, I think if we started drug testing
at my high school, a lot of the students doing drugs would either skip
school so they don't get tested or drop out.

Another situation that could happen is humiliation. If it got around
school that someone tested positive for drugs, it could cause huge
conflicts - students yelling at other students and rumors around
school causing fights. This would also be a distraction to learning.
Students may get nervous about drug testing and not concentrate on
tests and homework. Students who know about the drug testing could
quit until they are tested and go back to the drugs afterwards.

These days high school-age students are very knowledgeable about
drugs. If they were being tested for drugs they would find ways to get
around the test. If students were being tested for pot, cocaine or
some other illegal drugs they could get cough medicine off a drugstore
counter or from their house and overdose. If President Bush is trying
to get rid of drug use from students he would have to take items off
the counter which help people for a common cold.

Even though I am a high school student who does not support drug use,
I believe that testing for drugs at school isn't a good choice. In
many schools there is a much larger number of students than
administrators.

I think parents would know if their child needed a drug test more than
the administrators. This is an issue that needs to be left at home.

Emily Mady, Grade 9 Manatee High School

Bradenton