Drug Testing

STUDENTS WILL SIMPLY AVOID TESTING LOCATIONS

While the desire of schools and communities to help students deal
with the pressure to do drugs is admirable, random drug testing
misses a key point about the young-adult mind-set. If students know
that they may be randomly tested for drugs, the ones who have real
drug problems will just avoid the venue for testing, be that sports,
other school activities or school itself. Ironically, these are the
places that might be best equipped to help addicted students get the
treatment they need. Supportive coaches and teachers are in a
position to make a difference.

When I was in high school, a close friend appealed to a teacher to
help with her friend's drug problem. The girl was dangerously abusing
alcohol and coming to school high most of the time. If the school's
reaction to her problem had been to discipline, rather than to offer
help, or if she had not had a trusting relationship with the teacher
who facilitated the process, then she may never have received the
treatment she needed. When last I heard, she was clean, sober and had
finished high school. I don't know if this would have happened with a
punitive drug-testing policy.

Florence Edwards

Madison