Pubdate: Wed, 26 Mar 2008
Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia)
Copyright: 2008 Illawarra Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.illawarramercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/205
Author: Katelin McInerney

ALCOHOL THE REAL PROBLEM - STUDENTS

Illawarra educators have backed a new report dismissing mandatory drug
testing of Australian high school students.

The expert report, to be officially released today by the Federal
Government's peak advisory body on drug policy, found that not only
would testing be costly and ineffectual, it would create a culture of
mistrust between students and schools.

The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) estimated it would
cost at least $355 million to conduct just one saliva test each year
per student or $302 million to conduct just one urine test in
Australian high schools.

The ANCD report, compiled by the National Centre for Education and
Training on Addiction, was commissioned following calls from community
organisations to introduce mandatory drug testing in schools.

However, the report found levels of illicit drug use among school
students has been in steady decline for the past decade, with less
than 4 per cent of school students regularly using cannabis and less
than 1 per cent using other illicit drugs.

ANCD executive director Gino Vumbaca said drug testing in schools was
not the right way forward.

"It wouldn't be reliable, it would be very costly and it's ineffective
and it could also lead to a number of negative, unintended
consequences."

Kanahooka High School principal Peter Jones agreed with the report's
findings and said the school had experienced a distinct drop in the
use of illicit drugs in the past five years.

"Mandatory testing is not the way to go - all the research is showing
us that the key to making a difference is the relationship between
students and educators," Mr Jones said.

"That is very important for many of our students who come to school
because they experience a feeling of safety that they don't
necessarily get out in the community."

Alcohol has emerged as the biggest problem facing young people, with
the report showing that one in five school-age children regularly
binge drink to harmful levels.

Mr Jones would like to see the money required to implement a national
drug testing scheme spent on training more school counsellors and drug
education programs.

"I would like to see it redirected into helping students make informed
choices and developing positive relationships between parents,
students and schools," he said.

Kanahooka High School Year 11 students, Chris Wilkinson and Jessica
Howchin, disagreed with mandatory drug testing in schools.

"I think it is an invasion - teachers have no control over what you do
on the weekend," Jessica said.

Both students agreed that alcohol abuse was more of a problem than
drug use.

"Alcohol is much easier to get," Jessica said.

Chris believed illicit drug use was not an issue at his school, but
said alcohol use was.

Both students said existing drug education programs provided students
with enough information to make their own choices.

An education department spokesperson said it did not support drug
testing of students as there was no evidence to suggest drug detection
and screening measures in schools impacts on student drug use.
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MAP posted-by: Derek