TEST DOESN'T ADDRESS MAJOR DRUG PROBLEM

To The Editor:

Regarding your June 15 editorial on drug testing, the most commonly abused
drug and the one most closely associated with violence is almost impossible
to detect with urinalysis. That drug is alcohol, and it takes far more lives
every year than all illegal drugs combined. Hangovers don't contribute to
workplace productivity and drug tests do absolutely nothing to discourage
America's number one drug problem.

Drug tests have the potential to do more harm than good. The invasive tests
may compel users of relatively harmless marijuana to switch to harder drugs
to avoid testing positive. Despite a short-lived high, marijuana is the only
drug that stays in the human body long enough to make urinalysis a
deterrent. Marijuana's organic metabolites are fat-soluble and can linger
for days.

Synthetic drugs are water-soluble and exit the body quickly. A person who
takes ecstasy, Oxycontin or meth on Friday night will likely test clean on
Monday morning. If you think drug users don't know this, think again. Anyone
capable of running a search on the Internet can find out how to thwart a
drug test. Drug testing profiteers do not readily volunteer this
information, for obvious reasons.

Robert Sharpe, program officer with the Drug Policy Alliance

Arlington, Va.