cannabisnews.com: Testing Students for Drugs Wrong Approach 





Testing Students for Drugs Wrong Approach 
Posted by FoM on October 17, 2001 at 07:55:00 PT
A Florida Today Editorial
Source: Florida Today
In the 1980s, many federal employees were forced to undergo drug testing as a condition of employment, and the practice since has become common in state and local government, and in the private sector as well. Now an anti-drug activist has proposed that students at Brevard County public high schools be tested as a condition of engaging in extracurricular activities such as sports, band or clubs. 
It's a bad idea. Illegal drugs are a major threat to young people in our society, but that risk does not justify sacrificing the liberties of a large population merely because the group happens to be made up of minors. It's understandable that Ken Braid, a former Melbourne Beach resident who now lives in Colorado, is passionate on the issue. In 1994, Braid lost a 16-year-old son to suicide after the boy, a sophomore at Melbourne High School, had used steroids for several months. Braid's untiring efforts against teen drug use are commendable. Still, a program to routinely test students for illegal drug use probably would do more harm than good. Like adults, young people are entitled to both privacy and a presumption of innocence. Requiring that teens be tested for drugs before they could participate in ordinary high school activities would infringe on fundamental constitutional rights. Lisa Kuhlman Tietig, the president of the Brevard County chapter of the ACLU of Florida, has correctly described Braid's proposal as an invasion of privacy, and said it isn't the School Board's place to conduct such tests. Points well taken. Local taxpayers, who would foot the bills, also should consider that such a program could leave the school district vulnerable to lawsuits. But perhaps the biggest risk of drug testing in public schools - or anywhere else, for that matter - is that it can be used as a convenient substitute for more in-depth approaches to dealing with the complex issue of addiction. Teens usually get involved with drugs, experts say, as a result of peer pressure, anxiety and low self-esteem. To counter those influences, young people need respect, trust and emotional support - not a presumption of guilt in the form of a drug test. Note: In the war on drugs, trust was an early casualty. Complete Title: Testing Students for Drugs Wrong Approach for SchoolsSource: Florida Today (FL)Published: October 17, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Florida TodayWebsite: http://www.flatoday.com/Contact: dosenenk brevard.gannett.comCannabisNews Drug Testing Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/drug_testing.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by freedom fighter on October 17, 2001 at 13:27:34 PT
gf, Actually I meant to say
it's at federal level, not the state level. I am really curious too myself. Just that kid who is not a lawyer actually did it. If suppose there be massive lawsuits filed in different district around this country creating confusion among the federal judges paving a way and forcing the Supreme Court to answer the question.Ahh, just a dream.. Take care..ff
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Comment #4 posted by greenfox on October 17, 2001 at 12:50:13 PT
sue the government
ACTUALLY I would be interested to find this out, as well. Knowing our courts, it wouldn't even get past the state level....-gf
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Comment #3 posted by freedom fighter on October 17, 2001 at 11:30:02 PT
Speaking of lawsuits
Yesterday, on my local tv news, a kid decided to file a lawsuit at the federal level. In Denver, Co, the city has a curfew law for anyone who is under 18 and he filed the suit challengin the consitutionally. It cost him only $150 bucks which he did not have it so he did little bit of fundraising.So I really wondered something about our cause, have anybody ever try to sue the fed on the issue of consitutionally of Controlled Substance Act? ff
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on October 17, 2001 at 11:07:11 PT
The really sick situation here
 Illegal drugs are a major threat to young people in our society, but that risk does not justify sacrificing the liberties of a large population merely because the group happens to be made up of minors.There are many major threats to young people, but I don't think it has been proved statistically that drugs count among the worst actual threats.The drug addict population in America has an average age of 30 years old. And it's an aging population. People get upset over statistics regarding drug experimentation by young people, and there are always anecdotal reports flogged to death in the media about 10 year old crack heads. But statistically speaking, there really are not lot of teen drug addicts, there are mainly a lot of teens who claim to have tried marijuana, and the size of that number is what federal drug war funding recipients have beaten and shaped into something that looks like a "major threat".It's a major fund raising idea, that's what it is.But far be it for a drug journalist to look up icky numbers and statistics and stuff like that. That would be, like, doing research! It's so much easier to just state things that everyone believes is true.The general mental health are we offer to minors in this country is DISASTROUSLY INADEQUATE. Ask any parent with an emotionally troubled child what kind of system we have for the treatment of these young people.It's actually better to have a pot smoking kid than one who is depressed but drug free. There are all kinds of people eager to take their time and money and use it to wean kids from pot. But these people and their money are not there when a drug free kid needs help.I think we'd do a lot better by giving kids tests for abusive or negelectful parents. Parenst present a substantial threat to children. The majority of physical, emotional and sexual assaults on children in this country are committed by parents, not stangers.
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Comment #1 posted by greenfox on October 17, 2001 at 08:03:49 PT
haha... hah.
many federal employees were forced to undergo drug testing as a condition of employment,many, but not all. The leaders of our land- the people sent to bring laws about for (against) us. And why are our congressmen and other leaders not tested, you ask? Simple: they're special. ;)-gf
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