Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2012
Source: Metrowest Daily News (MA)
Copyright: 2012 MetroWest Daily News
Contact:  http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/619
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

A FLAWED SCHOOL DRUG TEST POLICY

Westborough school officials are escalating their war on drugs with a 
new policy that is adversarial, intrusive and unnecessary.

Under a policy recently approved by the School Committee, school 
officials are authorized to take saliva samples from any student 
suspected of being under the influence of drugs. A school nurse is to 
examine the student first, and the student can refuse the test, but 
will face immediate suspension if he refuses, or if the test returns 
a positive result, with a report added to his permanent conduct record.

There are several potential problems with policies like these. Drug 
testing has improved, but the possibility of false results remains, 
especially if samples aren't handled with laboratory-standard care. 
Educators shouldn't want to risk punishing and stigmatizing a student 
because of a "false positive" result, or because a legitimate 
prescription or over-the-counter medication influenced the saliva test.

Nor should the Westborough schools want to invite litigation over 
student privacy rights, the appropriateness of subjecting a 
particular student to the test or the methodology of sample handling. 
In general, such testing appears legal, but that doesn't mean a 
specific one couldn't be challenged. Do school administrators want 
that kind of headache?

The policy also invites profiling. "Behaving suspiciously" is a 
subjective judgment. While we all hope educators would be fair and 
objective, would anyone be surprised if the boys with long hair and 
multiple piercings were more likely to get their mouths swabbed than 
other students? What about students who have had run-ins before with 
an assistant principal?

While the students would be theoretically be chosen for testing 
because a staff member suspected they were under the influence of 
drugs, saliva tests typically record positive results as much as 
eight hours after smoking marijuana, and as much as three days or 
longer after ingesting other drugs. Should a student face suspension 
Tuesday for a drug he may have taken Saturday night?

Aside from practical issues, policies like these spread suspicion and 
fear. The Westborough schools' official policy identifies "openness 
and communication" as the best deterrent to substance abuse. Turning 
teachers and school nurses into narcs probing for secrets in 
students' bodily fluids is no way to encourage openness and communication.

Drug-testing for suspicious behavior is also unnecessary.

If a student is misbehaving, calm him down or discipline him. If a 
student is sick, get her to a doctor or a nurse. If there are other 
problems, talk to the parents. And talk to the students, as someone 
who wants to help them, not bust them.

Educators can do all those things without sticking swabs into 
student's mouths, snooping in their body chemistry and turning an 
opportunity to communicate into an adversarial confrontation. Our 
students deserve better policies.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom