Pubdate: Fri, 29 Sep 2006
Source: Journal Gazette, The (IN)
Copyright: 2006 The Journal Gazette
Contact:  http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/908
Author: Dylan Currie
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

STUDENTS CONSIDER DRUG SURVEYS A JOKE

Most people are quick to attribute the drop in cigarette, alcohol and
drug use among Southwest Allen County Schools students to the random
drug testing program that has been placed in the school system's two
middle schools and one high school. However, common sense from a
student taking those very drug surveys that led to drug testing can
prove otherwise.

In middle and high school, the anonymous drug surveys given to
students are seen as a joke. Not only do kids say they have done drugs
that they have not heard of, they fill in the corresponding bubble
saying they used cocaine more than 50 times a week as a sixth-grader.
Until now, these drug surveys have shown ridiculous numbers of drug
users in the district resulting from the anonymity of the test.

After the random drug testing was implemented, however, everything
changed. Middle and high school students began to see that these
surveys, while still anonymous, were finally being used for something:
numbers to verify the need for drug testing.

Drug testing is not the Holy Grail to preventing drug use. It has
actually done very little to stop drug use in the district (only
1.9 percent of tested students tested positive). The huge
decline in drug and alcohol use in these surveys can be attributed to
the clever students seeing that if they are honest, federal grants
will not continue to be poured into the district for drug testing and
the program will not be renewed by the school board at the end of the
2008-09 school year.

Drug and alcohol use should not be as widespread as it is in schools,
but administrators and employees should quit letting students fool
them with a survey and look for something that actually works, and
spend some money on education. After all, that is what school is for.

Dylan Currie,

Homestead High School Fort Wayne
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MAP posted-by: Derek