Student Drug Testing Win for Alliance and CA Students is Drug Czar’s Loss

Student Drug Testing Win for Alliance and CA Students is Drug Czar's Loss


June 24, 2004


A landmark bill that would ban random, suspicionless student drug testing in California schools advanced one step closer to becoming law yesterday. Enactment of the bill, championed by the Drug Policy Alliance, would make California the first state to prohibit random student drug testing in this country.

In spite of the testimony of Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) deputy director Andrea Barthwell, the California Assembly Education Committee last night voted 7-2 in favor of SB 1386.

President Bush has pushed hard for student drug testing, committing $25 million in grants to school districts that choose to implement the invasive, disturbing and ineffective practice.

“We are ecstatic that committee members recognize the damage done when the government arbitrarily picks on our youth by invading their privacy, and essentially deems them guilty of using drugs without reasonable suspicion,” said the Alliance's Glenn Backes, Director of Health Policy and the California Capital Office, who testified in support of the bill.

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer attended an Alliance press conference earlier in the day supporting the measure as protection against "unreasonable search and seizure.” Other supporters of the bill include Jack O'Connell, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state Parent Teachers' Association (PTA), NAACP, ACLU and Planned Parenthood. State and national media, including the Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, and several broadcast stations, covered the press conference.

The bill will be voted on by the full Assembly next week.



http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/06_24_04sdtca.cfm