DRUG TEST DILEMMA

Mandatory In School?

A rural Manitoba school division was expected to decide as early as last
night whether it would begin forcing students as young as 13 to submit to
mandatory alcohol and drug testing.

The Garden Valley School Division wants to begin randomly conducting drug
tests on about 250 students between grades 9 and 12 who play
extracurricular sports at Garden Valley Collegiate in Winkler.

The controversial policy, which made headlines across the country, would be
a first of a kind in Canada.

"The board needs to make a decision as to where it will go at this point,"
board chairwoman Hilda Froese told The Sun yesterday.

School trustees approved in principle the drug policy last year but stopped
short of implementing the tests because of privacy concerns.

Provincial ombudsman Barry Tuckett questioned whether the drug policy would
violate Manitoba's Personal Health Information Act or take away a student's
right to privacy.

His department investigated the policy and has made recommendations which
were forwarded to Garden Valley officials last month.

The report was scheduled to be considered at last night's school division
meeting, which was expected to wrap up after 11 p.m.

It was not released at press time.

Froese said she hoped the board would make a final decision on the matter
last night, but it could be put over.

The policy would require student athletes and their parents to sign forms
consenting to informed random drug tests throughout the year. It would be a
requirement for membership on the school's athletic teams.

The tests -- which will cost taxpayers about $75 a pop -- will not check
for steroid use.

Any student could also be tested if there are "reasonable suspicions" about
substance abuse.

Last November, Education Minister Ron Lemieux said he was not aware of any
other school division in Canada that does random drug tests of students.

"It seems quite drastic, and I'm not sure why it's come up or what
perceived or real problem they feel they have," Lemieux said then.