During his State of the Union address, President Bush announced a $23-million grant program for random student drug testing, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Jan. 23."The aim here is not to punish children," Bush said, "but to send them this message: We love you, and we don't want to lose you."
While Bush called random drug testing at schools "a tool to save children's lives," some educators question whether the programs work and if they cause more problems than they solve.
In Louisiana, for instance, school officials in the Orleans Parish have decided to end a drug-testing program begun two years ago.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Eddie Jordan said school officials and parents resisted the program. "There were suspicions about the motives of this office in doing the testing," Jordan said. "Parents were not sure what would come of the results and the accuracy of the testing, especially as it relates to African-American children."
On the other hand, neighboring Jefferson Parish has earned national attention for its random drug-testing program. Under the program, student athletes and those who take part in after-school activities may be randomly tested for marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, PCP, and ecstasy use.
According to District Attorney Paul Connick Jr., whose office administers the program, students who test positive are not criminally prosecuted, but rather placed in a five-week parent-student counseling program.
"This is not a punitive thing," Connick said. "I don't know who is testing positive. I don't want to know. I just don't want that kid ever to enter the criminal-justice system."
The program, said Connick, has resulted in a drop in drug use. Last year, less than 2 percent of the students tested had positive results.
The Drug Policy Alliance and the American Civil Liberties Union are against Bush's proposal. In an effort to block the initiative, they are distributing a pamphlet entitled, "Making Sense of Student Drug Testing: Why Educators are Saying No," to 17,000 school officials throughout the country.
The groups contend that random drug testing in schools sends a message to teens that, "We don't trust you, and you aren't mature enough to make decisions on your own."
The booklet defines drug-testing programs as being ineffective and expensive. The booklet also says that testing may discourage students from participating in athletics or after-school extracurricular clubs. Studies have shown that such activities may prevent drug use.
"We know what works," said Marsha Rosenbaum, director of the educational program Safety First, an offshoot of the Drug Policy Alliance. "It's relationships and communication and taking responsibility for one's own health. Across the board, suspicionless drug testing has the effect of eroding trust. It takes responsibility away from students and puts a wedge between parents, teachers, and students."
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