SCHOOL IN BID TO DRUG-TEST STUDENTS FOR SPEED

A high school wants to test students for signs of methamphetamine use after
police raised concerns about its growing prevalence in the area.

Kaitaia College in Northland is asking parents' permission to test pupils.

Principal William Tailby said the proposal follows comments made to the
school board by the district's youth aid officer, Senior Constable Brian
Camplin, who suggested students with behavioural problems might use
methamphetamine or its pure form, known as P.

Mr Camplin is a board member.

The school sent parents a questionnaire about the tests, which require
students suspected of taking the drug to produce a urine sample.

"We haven't picked up any students at Kaitaia College we can say have been
using P, but we've been told by the youth aid officer there is a sufficient
usage within the community," Mr Tailby said.

The soaring use of P, which has been linked with a number of high-profile
violent crimes, led Parliament to reclassify it as a Class A drug, meaning
manufacturers and dealers can face a life sentence.

Concern about the drug also prompted the Government to announce $6.6
million funding in last week's Budget for lab clean-up teams in Auckland
and Wellington.

P gives users a rush that can last for up to 10 hours and police and local
health trusts said it was having an impact on the local community.

Errol Murray, who helps run drug programmes in the Far North for Te Oranga
whanau hapu services, said he knew Kaitaia teenagers were using P or
methamphetamine, known as speed, and thought the tests were proactive.

"We've been told of incidents, not in the school, but outside the school.
If you're concerned about the kids' education, sometimes you have to go to
extreme measures."

Mr Tailby said from the 10 replies to the survey received so far, all
supported the move and the board was likely to decide whether to introduce
the tests this month. The school would pay for tests, but did not know how
much the plan would cost.

Users would probably be reported to the local police, he said, because
police were already made aware of those stood down or suspended.

"The question would be what actions do we take in terms of supporting the
students?"

Executive member of the Auckland Council of Civil Liberties Graeme Minchin
questioned the school's proposal for tests. He said they would not address
the cause of a drug problem, but stigmatise young people as offenders.

"That just seems to me to be counter-productive."

Ministry of Education acting manager national operations Rosalie Phillips
said schools needed to proceed with caution with drug testing because it
was a highly complex concept, complicated by legal issues.

Schools should consult the ministry, police and community about a drug test
policy.

Students around the country were already being tested at school for
cannabis. One Northland scheme required students to undergo counselling.