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April 02, 2007
Letter to the NY Times by Tony Papa: The War on Drugs, Now in Schools
The War on Drugs, Now in Schools
To the Editor:
Re “Is This the Answer to Drug Use?” (March 25):
Students are now on the front lines of the war on drugs. Whether it be random, suspicionless student drug testing, or having police dogs sniffing around school lockers for drugs, students are now feeling the heavy-handedness of the government’s efforts to keep them “drug-free.”
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is trying to persuade local educators across the country to apply random, suspicionless drug tests by conducting regional summits. This policy is unsupported by available science and opposed by leading experts in adolescent health.
Instead, educators should implement alternatives to drug testing that emphasize education and discussion that will build trust between students and adults. Forcing students to urinate in a cup is not the way to keep them drug-free.
Anthony Papa
New York
The writer is communications specialist, Drug Policy Alliance.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/opinion/nyregionopinions/l01island.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Posted by lois at April 2, 2007 06:38 PM