Pubdate: Wed, 26 Mar 2008
Source: Canberra Times (Australia)
Copyright: 2008 Canberra Times
Contact:  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/71
Author: Danielle Cronin
Referenced: The Report, 202 pages http://drugsense.org/url/exxmCVC3
Cited: Australian National Council on Drugs http://www.ancd.org.au/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

DRUG TESTING IN SCHOOLS FUTILE: REPORT

Drug testing in schools was unreliable, ineffective, likely to cost 
billions of dollars and would potentially encourage students to skip 
classes and take more harmful substances to dodge detection.

These were among the main findings from a report issued today by the 
principal advisory body to the Federal Government on drug policy, the 
Australian National Council on Drugs.

In the past 12 months, researchers reviewed international evidence, 
took submissions from specialists in the field and conducted a 
community survey to determine if drug testing should be introduced 
into Australian schools. "No" that was the conclusion reached by the 
team from the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction.

Council executive director Gino Vumbaca said the study showed that 
performing drug tests on students could actually do more harm than good.

"It wouldn't be reliable, it would be very costly and it's ineffective.

"It could also lead to a number of negative unintended consequences.

"Instead, there are more effective interventions available to 
schools. It has to be remembered that students bonding with schools 
depends on trust and nurturing relationships. Drug testing is only 
likely to break that down."

Students who struggled academically and those who had more than $60 a 
week to spend were more likely to use drugs.

Illicit drug use among students had waned in the past decade.

Less than 4 per cent of students regularly smoked cannabis and less 
than 1 per cent took other illegal drugs today, whereas 10per cent 
were binge drinking in any week.

The researchers discovered the cost of drug testing would be "excessive".

The bill would range from $91million to randomly test urine samples 
from 10 per cent of the school population three times a year to at 
least $335million to collect and test saliva samples from every child 
on an annual basis.

The council estimated taxpayers would be left with a 
multi-billion-dollar bill if all Australian schools introduced random 
drug testing on a weekly basis.

The report's principal author, Professor Anne Roche, said they had 
concerns about the accuracy of these drug tests.

"Falsely accusing a child of illicit drug use could obviously have 
negative legal and social impacts ... to say nothing of potential 
psychological damage," Professor Roche said.

As part of the consultation process, the researchers received 33 
submissions from specialists in the field and surveyed 284 members of 
the public. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake