DRUG TESTING NOT UNREASONABLE

To the editor

Random drug testing in New Jersey schools is an issue, which has been in
discussion on numerous different occasions.

Some schools have implemented the law on their own, but many others have
yet to follow. Random drug testing will only help to keep students safe and
healthy and out of trouble.

The only negative effect of this regulation is that more people will be in
trouble after having their drug habit found out.

A majority of the students at Hillsborough High School will experiment with
marijuana, for example, during their high school career. Experimenting is
all a part of adolescence and it is very understandable.

However, my belief is that checking up on students' drug use will prevent
many kids from forming a habit of it after "testing the water" once or
twice before. The random drug testing in schools regulation should be
enforced at Hillsborough High School because it will only help everyone who
is involved.

The debate on random drug testing has so many different subjects in
discussion. One element is whether or not it is a violation of rights.
Doing drugs is an illegal act and there is nothing private about it.

If a school chooses to randomly select students each month for a drug test
then there is absolutely no targeting or accusing of anyone. Any student
being subjected to a random drug test has no reason to feel violated.

A second rationalization for supporting the drug testing is that if
students are found guilty then they will be given the opportunity to seek
help/therapy. This is good because many kids just do not know how to stop
using drugs. The guidance they will receive after a test is positive can
really assist them with that trouble. A last point to consider is that
after high school, there are many different times in a person's life that
they will be required to pass a drug test. Some of these include college
sport's teams and many places of employment. Implementing random drug tests
on high school students will better prepare them for the future.

Of course there are an abundance of topics, which I did not touch upon, but
these few are enough to get the public thinking.

In an interview with Patricia Janos, teacher at Hunterdon Central High
School (a school that does random drug tests) and also a mother of a
Hillsborough High School student, makes the simple, but very true point
that "if you want all the benefits the school has to offer, it's a small
price to pay."

She makes a very powerful statement when she agrees that students should
respect the school's wishes to stay clean because the school provides a
priceless amount of life for them. So why not randomly drug test once a
month to keep the students on the right track?

Colleen Yanchek

Hillsborough High School