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.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Your information is incorrect.

LOL!

[Britton J Wingfield]

I don't think he's ever said it would disappear, but would be lessened to some extent. I agree with that.

[steve50]

BTT

[honeygrl]

Sounds like it'll just encourage more kids to quit school.If they do this, I seriously hope they have to require parental permission before testing. They already get away with enough without parental permission.

[honeygrl]

"The lion is not the thing to put on right now, read all the post about the bears and the tigers. Have you no sensitivity at all? "

Oh you poor victim. :)

[scan58]

Testing for nicotine??? And what do they do with the results???

[U S Army EOD]

Well Tigger is being blaimed for one of the attacks I have seen the Freeper footage even though I think it is a hoax. Clarance the Crosseyed Lion and the Lion King will be the next slandered by the Freepers.

[vinylsidingman]

Yeah, that would do a great job of shifting the suppliers elsewhere

Maybe. But it would definately take out a few labs, plantations etc. and would let the big dealers, manufactures know that we aren't playing anymore !

[Joe Hadenuf]

Drug test the freaking liberal teachers damn it!

[Joe Hadenuf]

You bet, Congress first, the President, all random, then every single local and state official in every single state, every mayor, every councilman, everyone!

Lets make it fair, test everyone, OR test no one!

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[ellery]

What do you think of Czar Walter's suggestion?

[robertpaulsen]

"What do you think of Czar Walter's suggestion?"

Well, thank you for not calling him "Herr" Walter or "Mein Fuehrer".

He's correct. Drug testing in schools would be an effective way to combat drug use. But I'm not sure that's the best way to do it.

I mean, hiring a private detective to follow your spouse around is probably an effective way to combat cheating. Is that what we want?

Actually I have mixed feelings. They do drug testing at work -- why not at school? But there's the privacy issue. And the expense. Will they also test teachers?

Certainly kids should be tested if they're involved in contact sports. I don't want some doped up linebacker killing my kid (varsity - wide receiver) on the football field.

Given the fact that drugs are indeed a real problem at the school, maybe they should use this as a last resort. Get the parents involved first.

[steve50]

Well Tigger is being blaimed for one of the attacks I have seen the Freeper footage even though I think it is a hoax. Clarance the Crosseyed Lion and the Lion King will be the next slandered by the Freepers.

You must have missed the thread on Pooh Bears' heroin problem.

[MrLeRoy]

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

Straw man #1. Who ever claimed that ONLY relegalization would lower prices?

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?

Straw man #2. I never claimed that crime by heroin users stealing to support their habit would completely disappear at ANY price.

[MrLeRoy]

there is at least one person on this board (with the initials MrLeRoy) who feels that crime will disappear if all drugs are legalized.

Provide evidence that I ever said this.

[OXENinFLA]

How about we just assign a personal police Officer to each and every citizen.

Just think of all the jobs that will be created.

[OXENinFLA]

Mandarin High Student Takes Morphine, Goes To Hospital
Girl Admits To Taking Morphine, Boy Who Provided It Charged With Felony Possession

POSTED: 4:56 p.m. EDT October 8, 2003
UPDATED: 6:08 p.m. EDT October 8, 2003

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- School Administration Officials met Wednesday with the parents of a girl who passed out after taking morphine at Mandarin High School.

According to a report from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the 14-year-old student recanted her claim to police that a 15-year-old student slipped her morphine with skittles Monday.

She later admitted she and the boy were returning from lunch to in-house suspension when he produced a 100 mg. morphine pill. After taking it, she had an apparent reaction and was taken home by her aunt.

Her condition worsened and she was taken to Shands Hospital, where she was treated and released.

The boy was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony, and placed in juvenile lockup. Though the girl told him she would give him Oxycodone in exchange for the Morphine, no charges have been filed against her because their is no proof she was in possession of the drug.

Morphine is prescribed as a pain-killer and doctors say its strength and highly addictive nature makes it a Schedule Two drug. This means morphine has some of the toughest medical restrictions on it.

The school's principal called this an isolated incident.

---

So how would testing slove the problem of DEALERS?

[Hemingway's Ghost]

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.

[sweet_diane]

"Come on Congress, lead by example!"

It is my opinion that anyone who hands someone a cup for drug testing needs to provide the results of their testing. Tho I'm not sure I'm really comfortable with randomly testing students, I know that these childrens bodies simply cannot function and grow properly if hindered by even just marijuana, not to mention hard drugs. Just last night my Husband and I were discussing our daughters upcoming 16th birthday, which means we will allow her to, upon strict review, date with groups. A liberal being jump from my body and screamed "drug test any boy who wants to be near my daughter!!!". ::sigh::

I think that we'll stick to the game plan of getting to know our girls peers and when the time comes, potential beaus. I am concerned that conditioning our children to having the govt randomly explore their lives may cause us to eventually lose the independance our fore fathers worked for us to have.

A tough topic for me and I look forward to freeper input.