Pubdate: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 Source: Florida Today (FL) Copyright: 2001 Florida Today Contact: http://www.floridatoday.com/forms/services/letters.htm Website: http://www.flatoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) TESTING STUDENTS FOR DRUGS WRONG APPROACH FOR SCHOOLS In the war on drugs, trust was an early casualty. In the 1980s, many federal employees were forced to undergo drug testing as a condition of employment, and the practice since has become common in state and local government, and in the private sector as well. Now an anti-drug activist has proposed that students at Brevard County public high schools be tested as a condition of engaging in extracurricular activities such as sports, band or clubs. It's a bad idea. Illegal drugs are a major threat to young people in our society, but that risk does not justify sacrificing the liberties of a large population merely because the group happens to be made up of minors. It's understandable that Ken Braid, a former Melbourne Beach resident who now lives in Colorado, is passionate on the issue. In 1994, Braid lost a 16-year-old son to suicide after the boy, a sophomore at Melbourne High School, had used steroids for several months. Braid's untiring efforts against teen drug use are commendable. Still, a program to routinely test students for illegal drug use probably would do more harm than good. Like adults, young people are entitled to both privacy and a presumption of innocence. Requiring that teens be tested for drugs before they could participate in ordinary high school activities would infringe on fundamental constitutional rights. Lisa Kuhlman Tietig, the president of the Brevard County chapter of the ACLU of Florida, has correctly described Braid's proposal as an invasion of privacy, and said it isn't the School Board's place to conduct such tests. Points well taken. Local taxpayers, who would foot the bills, also should consider that such a program could leave the school district vulnerable to lawsuits. But perhaps the biggest risk of drug testing in public schools - or anywhere else, for that matter - is that it can be used as a convenient substitute for more in-depth approaches to dealing with the complex issue of addiction. Teens usually get involved with drugs, experts say, as a result of peer pressure, anxiety and low self-esteem. To counter those influences, young people need respect, trust and emotional support - not a presumption of guilt in the form of a drug test. (SIDEBAR) School Board School district offices - 631-1911 Bill Powell - 269-9888 Bea Fowler - 784-0120 Rich Wilson - 773-3344 Larry Hughes - 724-4203 Janice Kershaw - 733-5535 - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl