SCHOOL DRUG TESTING IS WRONG WAY TO GO

Drug testing in the schools is not going too far, it is going in the wrong
direction!

When we want more money for education, the response is, "You can't solve
problems just by throwing money at them." But when the subject is drugs,
money is the first response.

Drug testing in schools will be incredibly expensive. When the first test is
positive, how will you know it is valid? All testing systems have false
positives. When you hold that kid up to public ridicule as a drug user, you
know there will be a lawsuit. A lot of lawsuits.

City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle says he can maintain confidentiality. In this
town?

When you catch students, what can you do? Arrest them? It is not illegal to
have used drugs. Refer them for treatment? That, too, is expensive. There
aren't enough competent drug treatment programs as it is; and it will have
to be at school expense. Anyone remember the Felix case?

Will you expel the students with dirty tests? Few of those want to be in
school anyway. And put them where? State law requires they be in a program.
Another lawsuit.

Drug testing in the schools will be an excellent job security programs for
lawyers. What message will we be sending our kids? This one: We will spend
gobs of money on something that is ineffective, but makes it look like we
oppose drugs.

But give you a quality education system? No, too expensive.

Rev. Mike Young

Minister, First Unitarian Church