NEWS: Daily Telegraph - 10/08/07 'Drug test all students'

[lil angel15]

Drug test all students
Clare Masters
August 10, 2007 12:00am

DRUG-TESTING could become mandatory in Australian high schools following an investigation by the Federal Government's drug watchdog into illicit substances.

Students may be subjected to saliva swabs, urine testing, pat downs or sniffer-dog searches under an Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) research project.

"This will provide information for people who are concerned about what is happening in schools and how we can better protect kids from drugs," ANCD chief executive Gino Vumbaca said.

The researchers will canvas parents, teachers, students and drug experts across the country and determine whether detection is needed in schools and what form it should take.

Mr Vumbaca said sniffer dogs or pat downs were some of the options that would be investigated, along with urine or saliva testing.

"We'll be looking at the technology for testing, given the drug driving (saliva testing) regime now," he said.

"We need to know if we should have a detection program; be it thorough testing or some other way - or should we do more in drug education?"

Using data from the recent Australian Secondary School Students' Use of Over-the-Counter and Illicit Substances report, which showed that, while drug use had declined, 15 per cent of 12-to-15 year olds and 33 per cent of 16 and 17 year-olds had tried at least one of cannabis, hallucinogens, amphetamines, ecstasy, opiates or cocaine.

The research, to be presented to all Australian governments, was conducted by Flinders University's National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction.

Anti-drug campaigner, South Australian Independent MP Anne Bressington, believes mouth swabs should be used: "I think if we did it it should be for all students from Year eight to Year 12 on a three to four year pilot.

"The No. 1 message would be that drug use is unacceptable."

However Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia's Paul Dillon warned drug detection sent the wrong message.

"Compulsory testing says to them that we believe there are so many of them using illicit drugs, that we have to run programs like this," he said.

"The reality is that those who are likely to be drug users will most probably be able to avoid drug testing."

Daily Telegraph

 

[lil angel15]

WOW.......

I'm sure Christopher Pyne will be all over this like a rash when he is asked for his opinions.

They just keep chip chip chipping away at our rights. It wont be long until random testing is recommended on the streets to combat the drug problem.

 

[Splatt]

This is stupid. Can we become any more american

 

[drplatypus]

This is a disgrace-
Let the people conducting the survey know what you think at the survey site- the URL is

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=BZePf9uFEFulfRswA1coEg_3d_3d">Click Here to take survey</a

 

[lil angel15]

Thanks for the link drplatypus.

I would encourage everyone who opposes such measures in schools to complete this survey. It only takes a few minutes of your time and hopefully they will stand up and take notice.

 

[Prince Planet]

This is stupid. Can we become any more american

Cavity searches???

 

[Prince Planet]

The American experience of this:

Taken from:

Why drug tests flunk
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of drug testing in public schools, will students come clean? Kids at schools in Indiana, where drug tests rule, say no way.

By Janelle Brown

http://dir.salon.com/story/mwt/feature/2002/04/22/drug_testing/index.html


......But there is little evidence that drug testing programs -- which can be extremely costly -- have had any measurable impact on substance abuse in the schools that use them. So far, statistics reflect almost no change in student drug use in testing schools. And it is quite possible that, as students see drug testing more as a challenge than a deterrent, drug use actually increases with testing.

 

[lil angel15]

Drug testing unlikely in schools: Abbott
August 10, 2007 - 2:14PM

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott says it is "highly unlikely" mandatory drug testing would be introduced to Australian high schools.

Mr Abbott spoke following reports the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) was conducting research into whether drug detection was needed in schools.

The Daily Telegraph on Friday reported such a move could lead to saliva tests, sniffer dogs and pat downs in schools.

"I think that's highly unlikely, and I suspect undesirable," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney.

"The only people who should be tested are people for whom there is some obvious urgent need, and I can't imagine that would be the case for kids at school.

"I can't see that would apply to the overwhelming majority of school kids."

Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd says any mandatory drug testing in secondary schools should be a matter for the states and should take account of local circumstances.

"This matter should properly be within the jurisdiction of the states," he said.

"Each school community will have its particular requirements, depending on where it's located and particular problems which the police encounter in those localities.

"I don't believe in blanket approaches to those sorts of things and I'd be very mindful of what state education authorities had to advise on that question."

SMH

 

[static_mind]

Wow I thought the government would have loved the idea of testing everyone. I wonder if many people will now attack abbot over his "soft on drugs" approch