Schools should not be required to have state-licensed labs conduct random student drug tests, according to officials at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The Newark Star-Ledger reported July 17 that ONDCP deputy drug czar Bertha Madras contends that allowing school nurses to conduct the tests using low-cost ($10-12) kits -- standard procedure at many schools that conduct drug testing -- is acceptable. More complex lab tests are typically used to confirm positive student drug screens.

"We've had no complaints from any schools involved in this process," Madras said. "We have a system that has proven to be effective and accurate and acceptable to over 500 school systems (nationwide) that do the test."

Madras was in New Jersey this week to testify against a proposal to require schools to use state-certified labs to conduct the tests.

State officials say that the certified labs should conduct the testing to ensure reliability. The proposal originated with the New Jersey Department of Health, which says that a certified lab is necessary because the tests are being used to determine if students have a drug problem and need to be referred to treatment.

David Evans, executive director of the Drug-Free Schools Coalition, said that neither employers or prisons are required to use state-licensed labs to conduct drug tests. "We're talking about kids," he said. "These programs have demonstrated they clearly reduce drug use. The purpose of this law is to save lives and if you decrease the drug-testing program, young people are going to die."