DRUG TESTING NOT ANSWER TO PROBLEM

This is in response to an article titled "Shelby student drug use down." It
appears the point the article was trying to make was, because of the random
drug testing of high school students, drug use among high school students
was down. But because sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students are not
drug tested, their drug use is up.

It really amazes me how many people would actually believe this type of survey.

For one, the answers from this type of survey are taken from the children.
Children do not take these surveys seriously. They are likely to write
anything down.

I think drug tests are not the answer to the drug problem. Drug tests leave
our children with a sense of distrust. The whole idea is to make our kids
feel good about themselves. We need funding, not for drug tests but for
more activities for our children in school and after school. Keeping our
children occupied would be a more positive approach to decreasing drug use.

I'm not sure whether the DARE program and similar programs are more harmful
than helpful. They keep drug use on our children's minds rather than
getting their minds off of drugs. The same thing goes for drug testing.
Let's get our children's minds off drugs and on to something more positive.
Do we really want our kids being drug-tested in kindergarten?

Dawn Palmer
Tarrant