USE TESTS FOR RIGHT REASONS

Teens take a lot of very important tests as they move through the
school system.

But the results of new tests offered through a Wisconsin school
district may be the most important. The Maple school district is
offering parents of students in grades 6-12 vouchers for a free
drug-testing kit.

The district received $5,000 worth of free vouchers for the test from
the company that sells them on the Internet. The vouchers available
from the district are for a drug test kit that tests for cocaine,
amphetamine, marijuana, opiates, methamphetamine, barbiturates, and
several other illegal drugs.

The entire scenario should concern parents, students and other school
district officials across the nation.

The idea of a school district offering drug tests to parents for use
on their teens is disturbing. If district officials have concerns
about a particular student, they should contact the parents and the
parents should take action and responsibility for their child.

But to offer -- for no reason other than they were provided to the
district for free -- drug tests is beyond the school's purview.

The district has made it clear that it is not involved in the drug
tests after sending the vouchers to parents. And, officials have said
all inquiries and the results of the tests would be confidential.

Greg Blair, director of the district's curriculum and instruction,
said the test offers students another way to say no to illegal drugs
because they can say their parents test them for drug use. Certainly,
some young people have problems with drugs and should get the help
they need. But a school district offering parents a free test simply
because they are available is not reason enough to test.

Wouldn't it be better to teach children the real reasons to reject
doing drugs? Those reasons should be obvious -- a desire for a
bright, clear future they will remember, a wish to remain physically
healthy, and a plan to avoid violence and criminal activity.