Pubdate: Sat, 29 Jun 2002
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2002 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: Jessica Portner and Maya Suryaraman
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

BAY AREA SCHOOLS RELUCTANT TO BEGIN BROAD DRUG TESTING

Now that the nation's highest court has given the constitutional go-ahead 
to drug-test high school students from soccer stars to tuba players, how 
effective is this technique at combating student drug use?

Not very, say experts, who add that the expense -- an average of $60 per 
student per test -- drains scarce dollars away from other drug-prevention 
tactics that research shows are far more effective.

"It's very scary that pretty soon schools will say you have to pee in a cup 
to get an education," said Dr. Richard B. Heyman, former chair of the 
substance use committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He says 
students should be encouraged, not discouraged, to participate in 
after-school activities.

It's that reason -- and the basic issue of trust -- that Bay Area educators 
cite when saying that even with the approval of the highest court in the 
land, they don't expect to begin testing their students for drugs.

"I don't believe it would be in the best interest of the school to just 
randomly choose people without cause," said Charles Gary, principal at 
Milpitas High School. "It would create a distrust of authority."

At Los Gatos High, school officials have periodically allowed police with 
drug-sniffing dogs on campus as a demonstration that the school is a 
drug-free zone. The visits typically result in a handful of arrests on 
minor drug-possession charges.

But those officials draw the line at drug testing.

"It's a little bit capricious," said Don Hand, Los Gatos' assistant 
principal. "I don't think the problem is that widespread."

Heyman said fear of random tests could drive students away from the very 
drug-prevention programs that studies have shown can help curb drug use: 
extracurricular activities.

Studies show that juvenile crime and drug use peak between 3 and 6 p.m., 
the hours when school ends and parents return home. Nationally, one-fourth 
to one-half of teenagers -- depending on their age -- reported using an 
illegal drug in the past year, federal studies show.

"Kids who are using drugs should get help," Heyman said. "It's silly to 
think getting kids out of extracurricular activities is going to get them 
that."

This week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that random drug tests of 
students who are engaged in extracurricular activities -- even if none are 
suspected of drug use -- does not violate a student's constitutional right 
to privacy. In 1995 the court ruled schools could test athletes for drugs.

But very few schools in California -- and about 5 percent of districts 
nationally -- screen athletes for drugs. Individual districts, like one in 
Kentucky, have reported a decline in drug use among athletes since the drug 
screenings were begun, but no comprehensive national study has shown the 
practice has a significant deterrent effect over time.

The most effective drug prevention programs that schools can purchase are 
courses that teach students role-playing skills to avoid drug use instead 
of lecturing students on the risks, according to Drug Strategies, a 
Washington, D.C.-based research group. A consistent anti-drug message, 
echoed throughout the entire school curriculum and reinforced by parents, 
has also been shown to make a difference, the organization said.

Critics of this week's Supreme Court decision also questioned the validity 
of the drug test itself, arguing that because districts often opt for a 
cheaper, less sophisticated screening process, students can foil the test.

Drinking cranberry juice or teas can dilute a drug's concentration, and 
products such as dehydrated urine and other additives can mask a positive 
result, experts say. Many such products, like Urine Luck or ClearChoice 
additive, are available online for about $30 each.

Most tests used in schools today generally screen for marijuana, cocaine 
and several other drugs -- and not often steroids or other drugs, such as LSD.

Even drug testing companies acknowledge that depending on how the sample is 
collected, a lot can go wrong with the test results, said Joe Kurta, vice 
president of sales and marketing for PharmChem, one of nation's largest 
drug-testing laboratories. "There are three ways to mess with the specimen: 
dilute it, substitute it or liquidate it," said Kurta, who has heard of 
adults smuggling in a drug-free urine sample for their company's drug 
tests. "Desperate people try desperate things," he said.

Kurta added that most drug companies take precautions to prevent cheating. 
The technicians use cups with temperature gauges to make sure the specimen 
came from a warm body and not a packet.

Whether to test is a difficult choice for many school leaders who are eager 
to respond to parents' concerns about student drug use.

Kevin Jolly, superintendent of the Modoc Joint Unified School District in 
Alturas, said parents recently pressed the district to adopt a measure that 
would have tested all students in the district for drugs. Student drug use 
in the district was at about the national average of 25 percent.

The board decided against it, Jolly said, and opted for a drug education 
program that would include training staff to better identify the signs of 
inebriated or drug-addled students.

"We reached the conclusion that there is something to be gained by living 
in a society where you are free from unreasonable searches."
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MAP posted-by: Beth