NO OTHER CHOICE?

As a high school student who is very aware of the prevalent use of
drugs and alcohol among my peers, I adamantly suggest that the
Astoria School District take a second look at the benefits Student
Athlete Testing Using Random Notification drug testing can provide,
and the positive effects it can have on the students in our community.

Depression, poor work in school, deterred health and even suicide
are just a few examples of the severe effects of drugs and alcohol,
particularly on high-school-aged students. According to the
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, by their senior year,
nearly half of all high school students have tried marijuana, and
more than a quarter are currently using.

Even more disturbing, 83 percent of these students have engaged in
drinking at some point, more than half are regular drinkers at this
age, and 37 percent engage in episodic heavy drinking.

A tested and effective method to decrease drug and alcohol use in
high school students is random and suspicionless drug testing in
athletes. This has proved to be a controversial and emotional topic,
as shown by the lawsuits and public backlash to the studies
conducted in several high schools.

However, considering the facts and severity of the situation, we may
have to decide that we have no other choice.

Melanie Wiegardt

Astoria