US drug chief promotes random testing in schools

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,,1840997,00.html

America's drug tsar raised the stakes on drug testing in schools yesterday, suggesting that it could come to be seen as normal required and "responsible behaviour" in the same way that some US schools routinely test all pupils for tuberculosis before admission.

John Walters, director of the White House's office of national drug control policy, was speaking after meeting Jim Knight, an education minister. While Mr Walters said he had no authority to comment on the UK's drug policies, he made it clear that the US would continue to promote the tough line on drugs that has interested the British government.

"Some schools in the United States say a child needs to have a TB test," he said. "It's not considered to be an invasion of privacy. It's responsible behaviour. I believe we're very close to be able to think about that in terms of substance abuse."

Up to 700 schools in the US have adopted random drug testing, he said, and one school a week was joining them.

[htuttle]

1. Do you have any idea what this would cost on any scale?

It would be criminal to do this when we still have schools with leaky ceilings, no heat, no BOOKS, lead paint, asbestos and rat infestations.

[lonestarnot]

3. Yeah and didn't they do away with the school lunch program.

Maybe the kids that are hungry can go lick the lead paint of the play ground and fry up a couple of rats.

[NorCalDem]

14. It would be criminal to do it, period

blatant invasion of privacy. Random drug testing in schools would be ridiculous!

[HongKonger]

2. Wankers

Wankers... got to keep the jails full for smoking Jah's herb. Two million and counting. America has more people in jail than any country on the planet, per capita and overall.

[Democrats_win]

4. Besides, Daddy Bush probably owns stock in the drug test company.

[KamaAina]

5. TB is communicable

drug use is not. Morans.

[City Lights]

17. My exact though when I read this.

:hi:

[MidwestTransplant]

6. Wait, tell me how individual behavior is the same as spreading a

communicable disease. These people are seriously just plain fucking stupid I think.

[Mind_your_head]

7. What a load of BS!

What about the Fourth Amendement to the Constitution:

Amendment IV - Search and Seizure. Ratified 12/15/1791.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

What about "innocent until proven guilty"? How can they legally make a child submit to a random drug test?

What about "parental rights"? What if you won't allow your child to submit to a random drug test (b/c among other things you object to the Fourth Amendment Rights being violated?)

A "tough line on drugs" is one thing, but this goes 'way over the line'

Btw, neither my kids or I use any sort of drugs, so that's not at all why I won't go for this. My reason(s) are stated above - I won't give up my rights or my children's rights for such stupidity.

[insleeforprez]

29. They can 'make' kids do whatever they want

Kids have very few Constitutional rights in school.

[colonel odis]

8. probably a good idea to instill early in children

the notion that you have to prove your innocence, that the suspicion will be on them unless they can demonstrate otherwise.

after all, they'll have to live in a country like that the rest of their lives.

[MikeyJones]

11. As they say, the constitution doesn't apply inside schools......

or so I was told when I was in high school by many a teacher......

[SouthernLiberal]

27. Ah... but!!!

What repeated random testing means is not that you have to prove your innocence, but that you CAN'T. Just because you have passed a drug test every year since kindergarten, does not prove your not a drug user. Every day is a new chance to fail to demonstrate your innocence.

[MikeyJones]

9. Just another reason.....

for the drug-free crazies to turn our schools into prisons instead of learning institutions.

[noonwitch]

10. I'd rather see the schools keep their textbooks current

It's pathetic to see high school kids with american history texts that end with 1992.

[azurnoir]

12. At what grade level?

kindergarden, midle school, what? This could also be a way of checking parents-if you smoke pot and your child gets so much as a whiff, they'll register positive.

[Vidar]

13. Let the addict-in-chief lead the way, followed by Otis Cheney.

[gratuitous]

16. That's my thought

A pilot program for random drug testing at the office of the drug czar, the White House, both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court. If it is successful there, and we weed (you should pardon the expression) out all the dirty, nasty drug abusers from the highest levels of government, then we can turn to the school kids.

I saw this coming back in the 1970s, when they were first talking about drug testing of railroad workers on trains. I knew it was going to creep and creep through society, because after all, what is more important than making sure your train engineer/airplane pilot/bus driver/flight crew/conductor/ticket taker/temporary worker/schlub passing by on the street is drug free?

[Vidar]

23. Drugs, sex, airplane travel, medical treatment, heating oil & other

such luxuries are strictly reserved for the divinely ordained rich.

[postulater]

15. They should do random drug tests around the White House

[LiberalVoice]

18. YOUR DRUG WAR IS NOT WORKING!!

For fucks sake....Every single drug is cheaper now then it was 30 years ago. Aswell as much more potent. Except pot...t's trippled in value. People will always do drugs.

[High Plains]

19. Oh, fuck off, Mr. Walters.

[High Plains]

20. To quote the eminent social philosopher Mojo Nixon:

"I ain't a-gonna pee-pee in no cup,
Unless Nancy Reagan's gonna drink it up."

[Rex]

21. How bout you test George Bush and all the Congress critters!?

Show those kids how serious you are about the 'war on terro..er...drugs'! Goodluck with that crap.

[saigon68]

31. Test their Fucking Children, their families

[corporatemedia]

22. This drug testing all started under REAGAN who actually FAILED the test...

yeah, he missed the cup 2 out of 3 times!

(rimshot)

[Matariki]

24. sure, get people used to invasions of privacy at an early age

that way they won't resist worse when they're older

[rocktivity]

25. As long as it includes teachers and staff.

and the chancellors, and the district offices--let's random drug test the school whole system!

:headbang:
rocknation

[AnneD]

26. They can't fund even a small part of the No Child Left Alive

act but they sure as hell can spend a bloody fortune on drug testing.
Faith based programs esp drug prevention
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=15420
Heads up right wing orgs
http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1379
Info on Walters for a group that opposed his nomination. His policy about shooting down 'drug dealers' plane in Peru was responsible for the deaths of missionaries.
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/news/walters_dpf_alert.htm
I couldn't find any monies...but I know these slime enough to know that some one will get a big cut. Maybe he will 'retire' from public service to a nice cush Drug testing Company.

[outofbounds]

28. Is it possible to acquire DNA from urine?

That would be scary as hell. A DNA data base of every child in school. Maybe I just watch too much TV but I'm almost positive I've seen that. I sure hope I'm wrong.:shrug:

[mitchum]

30. The kids should piss in Walters' mouth, rather than a jar

[CRK7376]

32. Not just No, But HELL NO!

What a waste of time and resources to try to introduce random drug testing in public schools. I don't have a problem with after school activities, sports, drama club, Marching Band organizations like that having random drug testing. The after school activities are voluntary activities and I don't mind those participants being randomly tested. It should include teachers/coaches/sponsors/administrators etc...But regular school day random tests of kids that walk in off the bus stop or are dropped off by a parent....no way...

I don't mind teachers having to submit to random testing, those laws/regulations already are out there in many work places...Maybe we need more education programs instead of testing. Testing will be costly and our public schools are already over-stretched on their budgets...