Pubdate: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 Source: Newsweek (US) Copyright: 2005 Newsweek, Inc. Contact: http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/309 Author: DeForest Rathbone Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1226/a03.html THE METH SCOURGE This nation's enormous drug and violence problems are a direct result of our government's failure to curb the wide-spread, sustained demand for drugs. America's children get an early introduction to mind-altering, addictive substances. Since drug use by schoolchildren is a major national health crisis, we advocate that Congress soon mandate the legal, effective and popular strategy of random student drug testing. It is a widely used, proven method to deter kids' drug use and to identify--solely for treatment purposes--those currently using dangerous drugs. Such a public-health response to America's meth and other drug problems is warranted by the failure of education, interdiction and punitive criminal-justice strategies to eliminate this national health crisis. DeForest Rathbone, Chairman National Institute of Citizen Anti-Drug Policy Great Falls, Va. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth