White House Drug Czar Recommends Drug Testing in Schools

Associated Press ^ | Oct. 8, 2003

[Wolfie]

White House Drug Czar Recommends Drug Testing in Schools

Boston -- President Bush's drug czar told New England governors Wednesday that drug testing in schools would be an effective way to combat what is a growing problem of drug use among young people, especially in the Northeast.

The region's six governors and John Walters, director of the Office of Drug Control Policy, met at Faneuil Hall in an anti-drug summit focusing on New England's heroin epidemic.

New England has more people ages 12 and over dependent on illegal drugs than any other region of the nation, according to Walters.

Heroin as cheap as $4 per bag has made it easier for young people to get hooked, he said.

"This is a tool that will make a difference," Walters said of drug testing of school children. "It's time has come."

New England has placed a "national face" on the growing heroin problem, said Karen Tandy, administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"It is a big business," Tandy told the governors and the assembled audience. "You might as well be sitting at the border of Colombia in this Northeast region."

High level heroin traffickers are transporting drugs directly to New England bypassing the traditional transport route through New York City, and are marketing heroin directly to children, Tandy said.

"Colombian traffickers have created what is in effect a franchise marketing system," Tandy said.

Tandy and several governors said more federal money is needed to combat the problem.

[LibKill]

A few years ago at a small university in Texas, the Faculty Senate proposed such a move.

The Student Senate said "Great! You go first!"

When the faculty members found out that someone would be staring at their genitals while they urinated they dropped the whole idea.

FReedom was well served.

[robertpaulsen]

"After 60 or so years of Prohibition, they've got the price down to kiddie levels."

Well, well, well. They got the price down and they didn't have to legalize it to do it.

The one good thing will be that there will be no more crime by heroin users stealing to support their habit. Not at these prices, right MrLeRoy?

[enraged]

My thoughts too!
I'm sick of the (semi-)pretty little teachers telling me that they are trying to share their life experiences with my son's class to better prepare them for the future.
Geez man, some of these ditz' look like they are still seeing tracers from the LSD they dropped last summer during a bonfire/riot in front of the student union.

[inquest]

what drugs are they going to test for?

Ritalin?

[U S Army EOD]

I don't want to have to stay up all night trying to make up whitty comments about liberals being eaten by lions. I am afraid that is where this is going to lead. Refer back to the threads about the tigers and the bears. One low life has already insenuated by his post that Tigger was responsible for one of the attacks. He has footage to prove it even though I think it could be a possible hoax.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Let me guess. When they detect that a kid has used drugs they give him the boot right out of school and into a job selling drugs to his former peers. Probably part of another zero tolerance policy.

No, they'll divert him to an alternative school, and continue cutting resources for the good kids.

[Britton J Wingfield]

kerpow!

I think there will always be crime assosiated with drugs, regardless of their legality. A black market encourages organized crime, though, in a way that a free market does not.

i.e., people still steak beer, or get liquored up and attack others, but the vendors aren't doing drive-by shootings anymore.

[Trailerpark Badass]

The one good thing will be that there will be no more crime by heroin users stealing to support their habit.

Yeah, and kids won't have to bug their parents so much for "allowance."

[Wolfie]

Hmmm...low prices, high purity, "epidemic" levels of use. Giving up the Drug War would only mean the cops wouldn't get to bust heads anymore. Priorities, I guess.

[grania]

I would go along with that if they would test the faculty first.

There is absolutely no question that faculties should be drug-tested. There are in fact teachers that have an "it's okay" attitude about marijuana use, and tend to look the other way.

I would suspect that this attitude would be most prevelent among those who use drugs themselves.

[grania]

Massachusetts is so darned liberal is it any wonder the kids are on drugs?

The health nazis on their anti-tobacco crusade have made it easier for teens to buy LSD in the parking lot than it is to by tobacco inside a store.

[PaxMacian]

Fifth Amendment
No person shall be ...compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

There is no way in hell that purported polling percentages
of substance abuse can pass as sufficient evidence
for the forfeiture of all citizen student's life blood
sought to persecute individuals in a baseless puritanical
witch hunt perpetuated by corporate pawns at war with
the people.
In the end, such vapid vampires will deserve the
wooden crosses they find protruding from where
they were taught they had a heart.

[dr_who_2]

Well, I say every citizen should get tested for drugs at least once a year. If they test positive, try them. That will create lots more jobs in the trial industry and the prison industry and provide a ready source of food and shelter for all those druggies out there. Might be blatantly unconstitutional and break the bank, but hey, this is the drug war we're talking about. Victory or death!

[John Beresford Tipton]

If I recall, up there in Boston, the govenment tried to tax the guys' herb, and well, the Boston Tea Party, etc.

[robertpaulsen]

The Vietnam War cost the federal government between $600 and $900 billion over the years 1961 - 1975. (google it)

The federal WOD costs $20 billion per year.

Your information is incorrect.

[trini]

Tandy and several governors said more federal money is needed to combat the problem

This comes as no surprise. Throw some more money at it, who cares about freedom. /sarcasm

[kingu]

I say random drug tests on every single person recieving a paycheck from the government. Whether they are a politician, judge, attorney, teacher, or welfare recipient. If they test positive, the first time they get counseling, the second time no more checks.

Adiction is a disability, least according to the wacko laws we have. So if you even try to pull checks, you'll get the left screaming that you're stealing from the disabled...

As for the thread topic, bah. Random drug testing is a bad idea, expensive, and prone to lawsuits.

[robertpaulsen]

"I think there will always be crime assosiated with drugs, regardless of their legality. A black market encourages organized crime, though, in a way that a free market does not."

Preachin' to the choir.

Even when heroin was legal in the early 20's, almost all crimes committed by addicts were heroin users.

But there is at least one person on this board (with the initials MrLeRoy) who feels that crime will disappear if all drugs are legalized. Legal drugs will be so inexpensive that there will be no need to steal.

I say they'd have to be free for that to happen, but what do I know?

[Tailback]

But it's OK for the military and also for every single person (like me) in the US with a commercial driver's license. If I was to get into an accident while driving a commercial vehicle, I'm required to take a urinalysis immediately even if the accident is not my fault. For me it's not a problem, but the double standard annoys the heck out of me. If you're going to require drug tests of students then you sure as heck better be testing teachers, principals, administrators, janitors, coaches, etc....

[kingu]

I don't think it's ok for anyone. I especially think it a stupid thing to test the military.. You trust them to drive tanks, fire rockets, carry and use guns - yet you demean them by making them pee into a cup? As part of an accident investigation - that, to me, is a completely different matter. An incident occured, and I believe that both sides should be tested.