GROWING SCHOOL DRUG-TESTING PROGRAMS

The Star Ledger of New Jersey reported on the debate over which labs should be relied on to carry out the State’s “growing school drug-testing programs” (July 17). Those who believe that random urine tests serve as a deterrent to drug use should, for consistency, impose precisely the same testing procedures for all teachers, administrators and other employees of the Department of Education. Furthermore, whatever sanctions the school system imposes on students who test positive, logic dictates that for staff there should be “zero tolerance.” This logical extension of the program would guarantee reliability of testing that is as close to 100% as is humanly achievable – assuming the champions of testing don’t have a 180-degree change of heart when they, along with students, are the targets.


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