BC SCORES WITH DRUG POLICY

CREDIT ADMINISTRATORS at Benedictine Military School for taking a
pro-active response to teen-age substance abuse, going beyond the normal
"just say no" approach and prevention courses.

Beginning next fall, the Savannah parochial school will become the first
area high school, public or private, to use random drug testing to screen
students for drug use. Students who test positive will be referred for
treatment and rehabilitation. Those who refuse help will be kicked out of
school.

There's no indication that drug use at BC is worse or better than other
Savannah school. But it's there. And as Principal Kelly Burke pointed out,
teachers haven't been in a position to do much about it, until now.

BC already tests its athletes for drugs, so it's not a stretch to include
the rest of the student population. And it's not all punitive. The hope is
that students who have drug problems do themselves a favor so they can
remain in school until graduation.

Some cadets say the new policy infringes on their freedom, a typical
teen-age reaction to adult-imposed limits of any sort. One cadet provided
anecdotal evidence that drug use doesn't affect grades - a notion that
flies in the face of most credible surveys. But other cadets suggest
they'll use the threat of testing to better resist peer pressure to
indulge. Thus, the program is a good preventive tool.

Drug testing isn't a cure for bad behavior. It's just an indicator. What
matters is why you test, and what you do with the results, especially in
tandem with education. In BC's case, the school is testing for the right
reasons.