Pubdate: Sat, 06 Jul 2002
Source: Pensacola News Journal (FL)
Copyright: 2002 The Pensacola News Journal
Contact:  http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1675
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1186/a01.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DRUG TESTS A WASTE

Re "High court's drug ruling won't affect local schools," June 28: Escambia 
County School Superintendent Jim Paul and Santa Rosa County Superintendent 
John Rogers have good reason to question the value of student drug testing. 
Student involvement in extracurricular activities like sports has been 
shown to reduce drug use. They keep kids busy during the hours they are 
most likely to get into trouble. Forcing students to undergo degrading 
urine tests as a prerequisite will only discourage such activities.

Drug testing may also compel users of relatively harmless marijuana to 
switch to harder drugs. Despite a short-lived high, marijuana is the only 
drug that stays in the human body long enough to make urinalysis a deterrent.

Synthetic drugs are water-soluble and exit the body quickly. A student who 
takes ecstasy, cocaine or heroin Friday night will likely test clean Monday 
morning. Drug testing profiteers do not readily volunteer this information, 
for obvious reasons.

The most commonly abused drug and the one most closely associated with 
violent behavior is almost impossible to detect with urinalysis: alcohol. 
Instead of wasting money on counterproductive drug tests, schools should 
invest in reality-based drug education.

Robert Sharpe, Program Officer, Drug Policy Alliance, www.drugpolicy.org, 
Washington, D.C.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager