Pubdate: Sat, 04 Jun 2005
Source: Patriot Ledger, The  (MA)
Copyright: 2005 The Patriot Ledger
Contact:  http://ledger.southofboston.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1619
Author: Nicole Schomburg
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n822.a03.html

DRUG TESTS INFRINGE ON RIGHTS OF STUDENTS

I am a 16-year-old sophomore at a Plymouth high school. I oppose drug
testing in public schools.

Your May 20 story said, "The Quincy High School sophomores, who
said they don't use drugs, say random drug testing at high schools ...
goes too far and is  a questionable solution to the problem.'' I agree
with this statement because I believe it is an invasion of privacy by
sort of keeping tabs on the students and their lives outside of
school. Your story quoted Quincy High School sophomore Zack Morrissey
saying, "As long as kids are sober in class, what do (school
officials) care?'' Even if students get drug tested, it is not going
to stop them, because there are some drugs out there that cannot be
detected in a drug test. For example: A student or any person can take
too much of an over-the-counter drug and get high off it. If drug
tests are mandatory for school enrollment, students will take these
over-the-counter drugs more often and do more harm to  their bodies.

Bill Wilkinson, a Quincy High senior, was quoted as saying, "Everyone
deserves constitutional rights.'' This is the United States, and we have
rights. We won't be free if these rights are taken away.

Nicole Schomburg
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin