Pubdate: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 Source: South London Press (UK) Copyright: Trinity Mirror Plc 2005 Contact: http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3106 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) HEAD DEFENDS SCHOOL DRUG TESTING A headmaster has defended plans to introduce random drug-testing at his school. The scheme will be introduced at The Abbey School in Faversham, Kent, when pupils return from their Christmas holiday. Headmaster Peter Walker said previous Government attempts to prevent people taking drugs were not working and "something else" had to be tried. Under the scheme, 20 names will be drawn at random from a list of pupils who said they were willing to be tested. They will then be tested by specially-trained non-teaching members of staff. Mr Walker said pupils found to be taking drugs would not necessarily be excluded. Their parents would be asked to discuss the situation with staff to determine what action should be taken. Mr Walker said children were looking for an excuse to say no to drugs, against peer group pressure. He said the scheme gave them that excuse. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "One of the difficulties we have got in our society at the moment is the Government has tried so hard and so much to try to improve levels of prevention, yet we are not meeting with enough success. We do have to try something else." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek