Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Proposes Student Drug Testing

Discussion in 'Marijuana News' started by IndianaToker, Jun 17, 2005.

  1. Friday, June 10, 2005

    Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey's strategy to address substance abuse is sparking debate across the state. Her controversial plan proposes to fund voluntary random and suspicionless student drug testing for interested schools. Since then discussions have exploded in several Massachusetts newspapers, with physicians, educators, parents and high school students warning that random drug testing is a misguided, costly and ineffective attempt to address the problem. Bay Staters are instead calling for programs that are grounded in scientific evidence and protect the integrity of relationships between students and adults.

    Dr. John Knight and Dr. Sharon Levy of Children's Hospital in Boston raise objections to the drug testing plan in a compelling opinion piece published in the Boston Globe. “We urge Healey and other public officials to place our scarce resource first into proven prevention, early intervention and treatment programs for adolescents” Knight and Levy wrote. “Let us not rush to accept the illusory view that drug testing is the silver bullet for the prevention of youth substance abuse.”

    Andrew Potter, a student at Boston College High School, wrote an opinion piece published by the Patriot Ledger underscoring the importance students place on their constitutional rights. Potter wrote, “… Lt. Governor Kerry Healy's proposed random drug testing policy is not a solution. As well-intentioned as the plan may be, it violates students' rights that are specified in the Constitution … Preventing drug use in schools is important, but not at the cost of our Bill of Rights.”

    Supporters view Healy's proposal as an easy sell because the plan requires parental consent. However, the core objections to student drug testing still apply. The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes voluntary drug testing of students and describes the concept as deceptive; there are often consequences for those who decline to drug tests. Their policy statement reads, "…Testing is not appropriate in adolescents with decisional capacity - even with parental consent - and should be performed only if there are strong medical or legal reasons to do so."

    Drug testing programs do not support the development of decision-making skills and internal controls in young people that would allow them to address substance use over their lifetimes. Instead, drug testing is an implicit statement of mistrust that creates issues of contention between parents and their children, and the school and students.

    While the Lieutenant Governor has thrust her proposal in the limelight, no details are available regarding a bill to implement or fund the proposal. The Drug Policy Alliance is teaming with Whitney Taylor, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts, to work with Massachusetts organizations to oppose the measure and demand science-based programs in schools.


    Link to article: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/61005madrugtesting.cfm
     

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