Posted on 06/04/2005 6:06:50 PM PDT by Wolfie
Drug Czar Favors Testing Teens
If school boards institute random drug testing in the public schools, the use of illegal drugs among teens would be sharply reduced, said John Walters, the director of National Drug Control Policy.
President Bush's drug czar has called for catching alcohol and drug abuse early in the teen population, particularly by instituting random drug testing.
Random drug screening is an effective measure that local school boards should consider adopting, said John Walters, addressing the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors on Friday in Bal Harbour.
"[Random drug testing in public high schools] would dramatically change the face of substance abuse immediately," Walters said. Such a policy has been effective in the workforce and the military, he said.
"The question is: Why not apply this to young people?"
While public schools have free rein to conduct random drug tests at the high-school level, only two counties in Florida have opted to do so: Polk and Marion.
In 1998, then Miami-Dade School Board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla tried to launch a drug-testing pilot program in schools, but that effort failed.
"We haven't discussed that recently," said John Schuster, a spokesman for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Diaz de la Portilla's move would have paid for testing 5,000 high school students whose parents requested the tests.
But the School Board passed a watered-down version of the program, which required consent from the students.
Walters said it's "common sense" to focus on young people, who are more likely to experiment with drugs or alcohol.
Instead of seeing the tests as a punishment to the students, testing should be viewed as a "public tool," he said.
"I think this is a new area," Walters said. "There has been a lot of misunderstanding about drug testing in schools," he said, adding that he wants to spark school board-level discussion about testing and not push for a federal mandate.
Oh, I bet he'll get around to that.
I think his new title should be Drug Fuehrer.
Okay, but make sure you test teachers too.
SURELY teachers' unions would support that, no? Why on earth NOT?!?
Screw that. Test the Drug Czar.
Drug Czar Favors Testing Teens
Stay the hell off my kids your blatant misuse of government power and free cheese has ruined my boys leave my others alone you bunch of red tape money hungering creeps !
More proof the WOD is a war on the Constitution IMHO.
Hell, test the politicians too. After all, if we're serious about combatting drug abuse the most noble among us must set a good example, non?
The pattern by which governments erode rights is to start with a subset of the population that garner little sympathy. Flood the popular media with images of ignorant and promiscuous teens fueled by hormones and rap music. Every other story is about youths and drugs. Get middle america to resent them and demand a solution. Then drop the ax. Goodbye America. It was fun.
That's my responsibility as a parent. If they want to test people for drugs, let them set a good example and start with politicians and other public servants first.
Why stop there, lets test everyone twice a month. We could help form hundreds of thousands of jobs, living off the hard work of the taxpayers. Papers please!
This will never happen.
Tie it to highway funds, and its a done deal.
Shucks, why not start at the pre-school level? Sheesh.
Drogeführer NDCP John Walters, you mean like that? It's interesting to note that the acronym for the nazi party is NSDAP(Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei). Just a peculiar observation.
Damn youre right, Hope they dont figure that out.
Why don't we start by testing Congress? That should stir things up a little.
every day
LOL! - you're on a roll!
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